Prepare against Alexandra Kosteniuk
GM · CHE · World #617 classical · FIDE ID 4128125
When preparing against Alexandra Kosteniuk, expect 1.e4 in 85% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c6 (43% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (75%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Petrov's Defense as Black, 24.5% over 102 games.
Our database contains 6,687 games by Alexandra Kosteniuk, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Alexandra Kosteniuk's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Alexandra Kosteniuk before a game. You can open the same data in the free interactive preparation workstation, which builds a move-by-move opening tree from every game.
Ratings
| Time control | Current | Peak | Peak date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical | 2,495 | 2,561 | Feb 2018 |
| Rapid | 2,421 | 2,612 | Oct 2017 |
| Blitz | 2,411 | 2,612 | Dec 2013 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 6,687 | 3,276 | 1,525 | 1,886 | 49.0% |
| As White | 3,378 | 1,836 | 733 | 809 | 54.4% |
| As Black | 3,309 | 1,440 | 792 | 1,077 | 43.5% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Alexandra Kosteniuk's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Alexandra Kosteniuk's side.
First moves as White (3,369 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 2,873 | 85.3% | 64.3% |
| Nf3 | 258 | 7.7% | 71.1% |
| d4 | 188 | 5.6% | 72.3% |
| c4 | 38 | 1.1% | 64.5% |
| b3 | 4 | 0.1% | 62.5% |
| f4 | 4 | 0.1% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 85% of White games, 64.3% score
- …c5 (38% of these games) — Kosteniuk usually continues Nf3 (63.8% score)
- …e5 (28% of these games) — Kosteniuk usually continues Nf3 (61.9% score)
- …e6 (12% of these games) — Kosteniuk usually continues d4 (62.4% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 8% of White games, 71.1% score
- …d5 (41% of these games) — Kosteniuk usually continues g3 (68.9% score)
- …Nf6 (40% of these games) — Kosteniuk usually continues g3 (73.9% score)
- …c5 (7% of these games) — Kosteniuk usually continues g3 (77.8% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (1,383 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c6 | 598 | 43.2% | 61.7% |
| e5 | 427 | 30.9% | 47.1% |
| c5 | 309 | 22.3% | 59.1% |
| d5 | 21 | 1.5% | 76.2% |
| e6 | 17 | 1.2% | 35.3% |
| d6 | 6 | 0.4% | 58.3% |
As Black against 1.d4 (1,267 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 948 | 74.8% | 55.3% |
| f5 | 178 | 14.0% | 61.0% |
| d5 | 118 | 9.3% | 51.3% |
| e6 | 11 | 0.9% | 50.0% |
| d6 | 7 | 0.6% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 4 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
Alexandra Kosteniuk's chess games
All 6,687 games by Alexandra Kosteniuk in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Sep 2026) are free to browse, search and replay: filter by opening, opponent, event or date on the player page, or step through any game on the analysis board. Record: 3,276 wins, 1,525 draws, 1,886 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 320 | 179/60/81 | 55.9% |
| B40 | Sicilian | 214 | 111/45/58 | 51.9% |
| B21 | Sicilian: Smith-Morra Gambit | 180 | 127/15/38 | 70.6% |
| C50 | Italian Game | 170 | 79/45/46 | 46.5% |
| B11 | Caro-Kann: Two Knights Variation | 132 | 69/30/33 | 52.3% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 121 | 77/21/23 | 63.6% |
| C01 | French: Exchange Variation | 109 | 70/19/20 | 64.2% |
| C84 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 104 | 57/25/22 | 54.8% |
| B92 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 102 | 51/23/28 | 50.0% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 98 | 56/13/29 | 57.1% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A80 | Dutch Defense | 216 | 106/40/70 | 49.1% |
| D24 | Indian Defense | 186 | 76/44/66 | 40.9% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 180 | 95/33/52 | 52.8% |
| B66 | Sicilian | 158 | 68/45/45 | 43.0% |
| E17 | Queen's Indian Defense | 157 | 67/37/53 | 42.7% |
| E04 | Catalan | 154 | 70/34/50 | 45.5% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 146 | 46/35/65 | 31.5% |
| A28 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 124 | 56/28/40 | 45.2% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 117 | 61/21/35 | 52.1% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 102 | 25/30/47 | 24.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2009 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,801 | 4th World Blitz | C43 |
| Nov 2009 | Viswanathan Anand | 2,788 | 4th World Blitz | D39 |
| Nov 2009 | Levon Aronian | 2,786 | 4th World Blitz | D27 |
| Oct 2024 | Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 2,783 | WR Chess Masters | B15 |
| Nov 2014 | Vladimir Kramnik | 2,760 | Sochi Tal Memorial Blitz | E17 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 2,276 | 1,410.5 | 2,441 |
| Wch Blitz w | 2023 | 122 | 81.5 | 2,536 |
| Wch Rapid w | 2023 | 109 | 73 | 2,551 |
| World-ch w k.o. | 2018 | 97 | 64 | 2,553 |
| Beijing Sportaccord Blitz w | 2014 | 82 | 47 | 2,587 |
| Speed Chess w | 2023 | 80 | 41.5 | 2,560 |
| Wch Blitz Final w | 2014 | 71 | 43 | 2,567 |
| Chess.com Speed w | 2019 | 56 | 32.5 | 2,530 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Valentina Gunina (125 games) · Harika Dronavalli (110 games) · Antoaneta Stefanova (89 games) · Anna Muzychuk (85 games) · Kateryna Lagno (85 games) · Humpy Koneru (79 games) · Elisabeth Paehtz (77 games) · Yifan Hou (69 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 6,687 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Alexandra Kosteniuk's chess games?
6,687 games by Alexandra Kosteniuk, from Apr 2003 to Sep 2026, are free to browse and replay move by move — no signup needed. The preparation view groups them into an opening tree showing every line Alexandra Kosteniuk has played.
What does Alexandra Kosteniuk play on the first move as White?
Across 3,369 games with White in our database, Alexandra Kosteniuk opens with 1.e4 (85% of games), 1.Nf3 (8% of games), 1.d4 (6% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Alexandra Kosteniuk answers 1...c6 (43% of games), 1...e5 (31% of games), 1...c5 (22% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (75% of games), 1...f5 (14% of games), 1...d5 (9% of games).
What openings does Alexandra Kosteniuk play as White?
As White, Alexandra Kosteniuk's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian: Alapin (320 games, 55.9% win rate); Sicilian (214 games, 51.9% win rate); Sicilian: Smith-Morra Gambit (180 games, 70.6% win rate). The full breakdown of 3,378 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Alexandra Kosteniuk play as Black?
As Black, Alexandra Kosteniuk most often plays: Dutch Defense (216 games, 49.1% win rate); Indian Defense (186 games, 40.9% win rate); Caro-Kann: Advance Variation (180 games, 52.8% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 3,309 games.
What is Alexandra Kosteniuk's FIDE rating?
Alexandra Kosteniuk is currently rated 2,495 in classical chess, 2,421 in rapid and 2,411 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,561 (Feb 2018).
How many games has Alexandra Kosteniuk played?
Our database contains 6,687 games by Alexandra Kosteniuk, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 3,276 wins, 1,525 draws, 1,886 losses (49.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against Alexandra Kosteniuk?
6,687 games by Alexandra Kosteniuk reveal their opening repertoire, most-played lines, and the variations where they score worst — the raw material for targeted preparation. The interactive opening tree lets you walk every line to any depth.