Prepare against Alexey Sarana
GM · Serbia · World #46 classical · FIDE ID 24133795
When preparing against Alexey Sarana, expect 1.d4 in 77% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (84% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (91%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: English Opening as Black, 45.6% over 114 games.
Our database contains 8,916 games by Alexey Sarana, covering Apr 2009 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Alexey Sarana's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Alexey Sarana 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 | 2,666 | 2,717 | Oct 2024 |
| Rapid | 2,650 | 2,680 | Dec 2021 |
| Blitz | 2,667 | 2,717 | Feb 2023 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 8,916 | 5,412 | 1,530 | 1,974 | 60.7% |
| As White | 4,493 | 2,931 | 692 | 870 | 65.2% |
| As Black | 4,423 | 2,481 | 838 | 1,104 | 56.1% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Alexey Sarana's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Alexey Sarana's side.
First moves as White (4,488 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 3,444 | 76.7% | 72.4% |
| e4 | 545 | 12.1% | 73.1% |
| c4 | 424 | 9.4% | 78.3% |
| Nf3 | 67 | 1.5% | 68.7% |
| d3 | 3 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
| g3 | 3 | 0.1% | 16.7% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 77% of White games, 72.4% score
- …Nf6 (60% of these games) — Sarana usually continues c4 (72.1% score)
- …d5 (28% of these games) — Sarana usually continues c4 (75.0% score)
- …e6 (3% of these games) — Sarana usually continues c4 (67.7% score)
- 1.e4 — 12% of White games, 73.1% score
- …c5 (41% of these games) — Sarana usually continues Nf3 (71.4% score)
- …e5 (25% of these games) — Sarana usually continues Nf3 (73.7% score)
- …c6 (12% of these games) — Sarana usually continues d4 (64.1% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (1,986 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 1,678 | 84.5% | 65.8% |
| e5 | 259 | 13.0% | 67.0% |
| d6 | 30 | 1.5% | 73.3% |
| c6 | 10 | 0.5% | 65.0% |
| e6 | 6 | 0.3% | 83.3% |
| d5 | 1 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (1,457 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 1,319 | 90.5% | 66.8% |
| d5 | 126 | 8.6% | 68.3% |
| e6 | 3 | 0.2% | 33.3% |
| b6 | 2 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
| d6 | 2 | 0.1% | 75.0% |
| g6 | 2 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
Alexey Sarana's chess games
All 8,916 games by Alexey Sarana in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2009 - 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: 5,412 wins, 1,530 draws, 1,974 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D35 | Indian Defense | 704 | 438/123/143 | 62.2% |
| E49 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 508 | 341/67/100 | 67.1% |
| D17 | Slav Defense | 386 | 248/75/63 | 64.2% |
| D31 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 224 | 159/25/40 | 71.0% |
| E73 | King's Indian Defense: Averbakh System | 212 | 146/14/52 | 68.9% |
| D80 | Grünfeld Defense | 166 | 99/36/31 | 59.6% |
| A70 | Benoni Defense | 157 | 110/14/33 | 70.1% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 123 | 92/13/18 | 74.8% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 111 | 82/13/16 | 73.9% |
| D27 | Queen's Gambit Accepted | 109 | 74/17/18 | 67.9% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 691 | 388/137/166 | 56.2% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 490 | 277/94/119 | 56.5% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 368 | 212/62/94 | 57.6% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 308 | 172/59/77 | 55.8% |
| E11 | Catalan | 302 | 155/82/65 | 51.3% |
| B52 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 271 | 153/57/61 | 56.5% |
| D02 | London System | 169 | 113/21/35 | 66.9% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 139 | 81/22/36 | 58.3% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 119 | 55/26/38 | 46.2% |
| A13 | English Opening | 114 | 52/23/39 | 45.6% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2022 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2,909 | Wch Blitz | D02 |
| Jan 2026 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,840 | Titled Tue | A13 |
| Jan 2024 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,804 | Titled Tue Late | E56 |
| Dec 2022 | Daniil Dubov | 2,792 | Wch Blitz | E04 |
| Feb 2023 | Alireza Firouzja | 2,785 | Airthings Masters Div 1 L | D50 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 4,471 | 3,351.5 | 2,654 |
| 1st 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 220 | 159.5 | 2,644 |
| 2nd 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 215 | 144 | 2,570 |
| Wch Blitz | 2023 | 104 | 66 | 2,716 |
| 3rd 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 99 | 65 | 2,583 |
| Chess.com U20 Speed | 2020 | 87 | 44 | 2,675 |
| PRO League Stage | 2020 | 81 | 52.5 | 2,666 |
| Wch Rapid | 2023 | 69 | 41 | 2,661 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Andrey Esipenko (84 games) · Hikaru Nakamura (77 games) · Nihal Sarin (75 games) · Jeffery Xiong (68 games) · Olexandr Bortnyk (67 games) · Fabiano Caruana (58 games) · Sanan Sjugirov (57 games) · David Paravyan (57 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 8,916 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Alexey Sarana's chess games?
8,916 games by Alexey Sarana, from Apr 2009 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 Alexey Sarana has played.
What does Alexey Sarana play on the first move as White?
Across 4,488 games with White in our database, Alexey Sarana opens with 1.d4 (77% of games), 1.e4 (12% of games), 1.c4 (9% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Alexey Sarana answers 1...c5 (84% of games), 1...e5 (13% of games), 1...d6 (2% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (91% of games), 1...d5 (9% of games), 1...e6 (0% of games).
What openings does Alexey Sarana play as White?
As White, Alexey Sarana's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (704 games, 62.2% win rate); Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System (508 games, 67.1% win rate); Slav Defense (386 games, 64.2% win rate). The full breakdown of 4,493 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Alexey Sarana play as Black?
As Black, Alexey Sarana most often plays: Sicilian: Najdorf (691 games, 56.2% win rate); Indian Defense (490 games, 56.5% win rate); Sicilian (368 games, 57.6% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 4,423 games.
What is Alexey Sarana's FIDE rating?
Alexey Sarana is currently rated 2,666 in classical chess, 2,650 in rapid and 2,667 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,717 (Oct 2024).
How many games has Alexey Sarana played?
Our database contains 8,916 games by Alexey Sarana, covering Apr 2009 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 5,412 wins, 1,530 draws, 1,974 losses (60.7% win rate).
How do I prepare against Alexey Sarana?
8,916 games by Alexey Sarana 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.