Prepare against Awonder Liang
GM · United States · World #36 classical · FIDE ID 2056437
When preparing against Awonder Liang, expect 1.e4 in 64% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (40% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (75%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Indian Defense as Black, 19.7% over 71 games.
Our database contains 1,632 games by Awonder Liang, covering Jan 2011 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Awonder Liang's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Awonder Liang 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 | 2,693 | 2,719 | Feb 2026 |
| Rapid | 2,553 | 2,556 | Jul 2026 |
| Blitz | 2,595 | 2,595 | Sep 2026 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,632 | 769 | 479 | 384 | 47.1% |
| As White | 823 | 420 | 227 | 176 | 51.0% |
| As Black | 809 | 349 | 252 | 208 | 43.1% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Awonder Liang's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Awonder Liang's side.
First moves as White (820 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 525 | 64.0% | 61.4% |
| Nf3 | 95 | 11.6% | 74.7% |
| d4 | 67 | 8.2% | 59.0% |
| b3 | 58 | 7.1% | 81.0% |
| c4 | 45 | 5.5% | 70.0% |
| h4 | 16 | 2.0% | 62.5% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 64% of White games, 61.4% score
- …c5 (35% of these games) — Liang usually continues Nf3 (61.5% score)
- …e5 (34% of these games) — Liang usually continues Nf3 (59.6% score)
- …c6 (13% of these games) — Liang usually continues d4 (63.2% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 12% of White games, 74.7% score
- …Nf6 (41% of these games) — Liang usually continues g3 (72.2% score)
- …d5 (37% of these games) — Liang usually continues g3 (80.0% score)
- …c5 (15% of these games) — Liang usually continues g3 (90.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (353 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 141 | 39.9% | 58.9% |
| c5 | 76 | 21.5% | 57.2% |
| c6 | 66 | 18.7% | 53.0% |
| b6 | 28 | 7.9% | 87.5% |
| g6 | 15 | 4.2% | 76.7% |
| d5 | 7 | 2.0% | 85.7% |
As Black against 1.d4 (302 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 226 | 74.8% | 56.0% |
| d5 | 32 | 10.6% | 45.3% |
| b6 | 25 | 8.3% | 84.0% |
| g6 | 11 | 3.6% | 63.6% |
| c5 | 2 | 0.7% | 50.0% |
| a6 | 2 | 0.7% | 75.0% |
Awonder Liang's chess games
All 1,632 games by Awonder Liang in the Chess.ceo database (Jan 2011 - 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: 769 wins, 479 draws, 384 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A01 | Nimzovich-Larsen attack | 58 | 44/6/8 | 75.9% |
| A05 | Réti Opening | 45 | 29/10/6 | 64.4% |
| B42 | Sicilian | 34 | 15/10/9 | 44.1% |
| B11 | Caro-Kann: Two Knights Variation | 31 | 16/11/4 | 51.6% |
| C85 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 31 | 13/11/7 | 41.9% |
| B30 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 30 | 18/7/5 | 60.0% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 27 | 13/6/8 | 48.1% |
| B94 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 26 | 14/3/9 | 53.8% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 26 | 14/7/5 | 53.8% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 24 | 13/3/8 | 54.2% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 71 | 14/37/20 | 19.7% |
| E18 | Queen's Indian Defense | 35 | 15/12/8 | 42.9% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 34 | 14/8/12 | 41.2% |
| C84 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 33 | 10/15/8 | 30.3% |
| A04 | Réti Opening | 33 | 18/10/5 | 54.5% |
| E06 | Catalan | 31 | 9/14/8 | 29.0% |
| B00 | Owen Defense | 28 | 23/3/2 | 82.1% |
| B41 | Sicilian | 28 | 14/7/7 | 50.0% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 28 | 18/4/6 | 64.3% |
| C54 | Italian Game: Classical Variation | 27 | 13/7/7 | 48.1% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2021 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,847 | Carlsen-Challengers Simul | A05 |
| Feb 2018 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,811 | PRO League Stage | C96 |
| Mar 2026 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2,810 | Nakamura-Liang Rapid | C20 |
| Mar 2025 | Erigaisi Arjun | 2,777 | Titled Tue Late | A45 |
| Aug 2026 | Anish Giri | 2,764 | Saint Louis Blitz 2026 | B92 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 167 | 127 | 2,632 |
| Junior Speed Qual | 2022 | 83 | 34 | 2,489 |
| PRO League Stage | 2019 | 56 | 34.5 | 2,627 |
| ch-USA U20 | 2022 | 45 | 30.5 | 2,587 |
| US Masters Open | 2023 | 37 | 22.5 | 2,501 |
| ch-USA | 2022 | 35 | 17.5 | 2,678 |
| chess.com Speed U20 | 2019 | 32 | 15 | 2,620 |
| Reykjavik Open | 2017 | 28 | 16 | 2,395 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Nihal Sarin (37 games) · Andrew Hong (36 games) · Benjamin Gledura (34 games) · Brandon Jacobson (32 games) · Hans Moke Niemann (20 games) · Hikaru Nakamura (17 games) · Jeffery Xiong (16 games) · Christopher Woojin Yoo (16 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,632 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Awonder Liang's chess games?
1,632 games by Awonder Liang, from Jan 2011 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 Awonder Liang has played.
What does Awonder Liang play on the first move as White?
Across 820 games with White in our database, Awonder Liang opens with 1.e4 (64% of games), 1.Nf3 (12% of games), 1.d4 (8% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Awonder Liang answers 1...e5 (40% of games), 1...c5 (22% of games), 1...c6 (19% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (75% of games), 1...d5 (11% of games), 1...b6 (8% of games).
What openings does Awonder Liang play as White?
As White, Awonder Liang's most-played openings in our database are: Nimzovich-Larsen attack (58 games, 75.9% win rate); Réti Opening (45 games, 64.4% win rate); Sicilian (34 games, 44.1% win rate). The full breakdown of 823 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Awonder Liang play as Black?
As Black, Awonder Liang most often plays: Indian Defense (71 games, 19.7% win rate); Queen's Indian Defense (35 games, 42.9% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (34 games, 41.2% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 809 games.
What is Awonder Liang's FIDE rating?
Awonder Liang is currently rated 2,693 in classical chess, 2,553 in rapid and 2,595 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,719 (Feb 2026).
How many games has Awonder Liang played?
Our database contains 1,632 games by Awonder Liang, covering Jan 2011 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 769 wins, 479 draws, 384 losses (47.1% win rate).
How do I prepare against Awonder Liang?
1,632 games by Awonder Liang 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.