Prepare against Arkadij Naiditsch
GM · BGR · World #226 classical · FIDE ID 4650891
When preparing against Arkadij Naiditsch, expect 1.e4 in 87% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (49% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (98%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense as Black, 23.6% over 110 games.
Our database contains 3,105 games by Arkadij Naiditsch, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Arkadij Naiditsch's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Arkadij Naiditsch 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 | 2,574 | 2,737 | Dec 2013 |
| Rapid | 2,528 | 2,735 | Mar 2013 |
| Blitz | 2,561 | 2,702 | Mar 2012 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3,105 | 1,430 | 989 | 685 | 46.1% |
| As White | 1,578 | 839 | 462 | 277 | 53.2% |
| As Black | 1,527 | 591 | 527 | 408 | 38.7% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Arkadij Naiditsch's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Arkadij Naiditsch's side.
First moves as White (1,578 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 1,375 | 87.1% | 68.1% |
| d4 | 86 | 5.4% | 65.7% |
| c4 | 67 | 4.2% | 71.6% |
| Nf3 | 44 | 2.8% | 54.5% |
| b3 | 4 | 0.3% | 62.5% |
| a3 | 1 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 87% of White games, 68.1% score
- …c5 (39% of these games) — Naiditsch usually continues Nf3 (68.0% score)
- …e5 (32% of these games) — Naiditsch usually continues Nf3 (63.8% score)
- …e6 (11% of these games) — Naiditsch usually continues d4 (76.7% score)
- 1.d4 — 5% of White games, 65.7% score
- …Nf6 (71% of these games) — Naiditsch usually continues Nf3 (70.0% score)
- …d5 (21% of these games) — Naiditsch usually continues Nf3 (63.6% score)
- …e6 (3% of these games) — Naiditsch usually continues Nf3 (83.3% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (655 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 320 | 48.9% | 63.0% |
| e5 | 283 | 43.2% | 49.1% |
| e6 | 38 | 5.8% | 46.1% |
| g6 | 8 | 1.2% | 93.8% |
| d6 | 5 | 0.8% | 80.0% |
| c6 | 1 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (586 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 575 | 98.1% | 55.1% |
| e6 | 4 | 0.7% | 100.0% |
| d5 | 4 | 0.7% | 87.5% |
| g6 | 2 | 0.3% | 25.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
Arkadij Naiditsch's chess games
All 3,105 games by Arkadij Naiditsch in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Aug 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: 1,430 wins, 989 draws, 685 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B42 | Sicilian | 216 | 119/54/43 | 55.1% |
| B91 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 120 | 61/36/23 | 50.8% |
| B31 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 78 | 54/14/10 | 69.2% |
| C07 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 75 | 48/17/10 | 64.0% |
| C84 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 70 | 27/31/12 | 38.6% |
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 68 | 20/33/15 | 29.4% |
| C48 | Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation | 61 | 28/24/9 | 45.9% |
| C68 | Ruy Lopez: Exchange | 54 | 21/19/14 | 38.9% |
| C77 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 54 | 35/13/6 | 64.8% |
| B14 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 49 | 25/18/6 | 51.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D41 | Indian Defense | 130 | 38/61/31 | 29.2% |
| B32 | Sicilian | 115 | 60/25/30 | 52.2% |
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 110 | 26/51/33 | 23.6% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 94 | 44/30/20 | 46.8% |
| A17 | English Opening | 86 | 30/26/30 | 34.9% |
| E04 | Catalan | 84 | 33/31/20 | 39.3% |
| E11 | Bogo-Indian Defense | 70 | 26/23/21 | 37.1% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 50 | 16/20/14 | 32.0% |
| C55 | Italian Game | 41 | 15/16/10 | 36.6% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 41 | 16/14/11 | 39.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2014 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,877 | Olympiad-41 | E20 |
| Apr 2017 | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | 2,803 | 4th Grenke Chess Classic | C11 |
| Jul 2010 | Vladimir Kramnik | 2,790 | 38th Dortmund SuperGM | B07 |
| Nov 2009 | Levon Aronian | 2,786 | 4th World Blitz | C60 |
| Jan 2014 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,782 | 76th Tata Steel Masters | A09 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA-chT Top 12 | 2021 | 85 | 59 | 2,692 |
| chT-ESP CECLUB Honor | 2023 | 53 | 26 | 2,638 |
| Corus B | 2010 | 52 | 30 | 2,637 |
| Wch Rapid | 2022 | 51 | 25 | 2,535 |
| ch-EU rapid | 2016 | 47 | 35.5 | 2,637 |
| 4th World Blitz | 2009 | 42 | 15 | 2,605 |
| Wch Blitz | 2017 | 41 | 21 | 2,611 |
| ch-EU blitz | 2016 | 38 | 24 | 2,577 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Magnus Carlsen (24 games) · Viswanathan Anand (21 games) · Peter Leko (19 games) · Victor Bologan (18 games) · Levon Aronian (17 games) · Michael Adams (16 games) · Alexei Shirov (15 games) · David Baramidze (15 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 3,105 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Arkadij Naiditsch's chess games?
3,105 games by Arkadij Naiditsch, from Apr 2003 to Aug 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 Arkadij Naiditsch has played.
What does Arkadij Naiditsch play on the first move as White?
Across 1,578 games with White in our database, Arkadij Naiditsch opens with 1.e4 (87% of games), 1.d4 (5% of games), 1.c4 (4% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Arkadij Naiditsch answers 1...c5 (49% of games), 1...e5 (43% of games), 1...e6 (6% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (98% of games), 1...e6 (1% of games), 1...d5 (1% of games).
What openings does Arkadij Naiditsch play as White?
As White, Arkadij Naiditsch's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (216 games, 55.1% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (120 games, 50.8% win rate); Sicilian: Rossolimo (78 games, 69.2% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,578 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Arkadij Naiditsch play as Black?
As Black, Arkadij Naiditsch most often plays: Indian Defense (130 games, 29.2% win rate); Sicilian (115 games, 52.2% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense (110 games, 23.6% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,527 games.
What is Arkadij Naiditsch's FIDE rating?
Arkadij Naiditsch is currently rated 2,574 in classical chess, 2,528 in rapid and 2,561 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,737 (Dec 2013).
How many games has Arkadij Naiditsch played?
Our database contains 3,105 games by Arkadij Naiditsch, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 1,430 wins, 989 draws, 685 losses (46.1% win rate).
How do I prepare against Arkadij Naiditsch?
3,105 games by Arkadij Naiditsch 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.