Prepare against Boris Gelfand
GM · Israel · World #78 classical · FIDE ID 2805677
When preparing against Boris Gelfand, expect 1.d4 in 67% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (77% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (75%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Petrov's Defense as Black, 14.5% over 152 games.
Our database contains 4,166 games by Boris Gelfand, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Boris Gelfand's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Boris Gelfand 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 | 2,641 | 2,777 | Jan 2014 |
| Rapid | 2,624 | 2,755 | Aug 2017 |
| Blitz | 2,582 | 2,792 | Jun 2016 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4,166 | 1,280 | 2,104 | 782 | 30.7% |
| As White | 2,097 | 763 | 1,003 | 331 | 36.4% |
| As Black | 2,069 | 517 | 1,101 | 451 | 25.0% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Boris Gelfand's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Boris Gelfand's side.
First moves as White (2,097 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 1,405 | 67.0% | 60.0% |
| Nf3 | 402 | 19.2% | 60.1% |
| c4 | 156 | 7.4% | 59.3% |
| e4 | 134 | 6.4% | 64.9% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 67% of White games, 60.0% score
- …Nf6 (62% of these games) — Gelfand usually continues c4 (59.3% score)
- …d5 (28% of these games) — Gelfand usually continues c4 (61.7% score)
- …e6 (5% of these games) — Gelfand usually continues c4 (56.4% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 19% of White games, 60.1% score
- …Nf6 (44% of these games) — Gelfand usually continues c4 (58.7% score)
- …d5 (34% of these games) — Gelfand usually continues d4 (56.1% score)
- …c5 (13% of these games) — Gelfand usually continues c4 (62.5% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (943 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 730 | 77.4% | 52.1% |
| e5 | 184 | 19.5% | 46.2% |
| e6 | 26 | 2.8% | 48.1% |
| c6 | 2 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (777 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 582 | 74.9% | 51.7% |
| d5 | 191 | 24.6% | 50.3% |
| d6 | 2 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 0.1% | 50.0% |
| e6 | 1 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
Boris Gelfand's chess games
All 4,166 games by Boris Gelfand 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: 1,280 wins, 2,104 draws, 782 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D15 | Slav Defense | 296 | 100/155/41 | 33.8% |
| E04 | Catalan | 264 | 81/147/36 | 30.7% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 205 | 75/101/29 | 36.6% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 167 | 46/93/28 | 27.5% |
| A16 | English Opening | 123 | 47/57/19 | 38.2% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 114 | 47/50/17 | 41.2% |
| A34 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 63 | 23/34/6 | 36.5% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 57 | 19/27/11 | 33.3% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 53 | 23/18/12 | 43.4% |
| E11 | Bogo-Indian Defense | 50 | 22/24/4 | 44.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 288 | 67/147/74 | 23.3% |
| D45 | Slav Defense | 217 | 49/118/50 | 22.6% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 152 | 22/99/31 | 14.5% |
| B30 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 138 | 29/83/26 | 21.0% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 115 | 29/63/23 | 25.2% |
| B30 | Sicilian | 107 | 29/49/29 | 27.1% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 76 | 12/49/15 | 15.8% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 70 | 27/26/17 | 38.6% |
| B33 | Sicilian: Sveshnikov | 58 | 17/31/10 | 29.3% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 57 | 18/31/8 | 31.6% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2011 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,815 | 20th Amber Blindfold | E60 |
| Apr 2017 | Vladimir Kramnik | 2,811 | 6th Zuerich Chess Challenge Blitz2 | D04 |
| Mar 2013 | Levon Aronian | 2,809 | Candidates Tournament | D37 |
| Mar 2008 | Viswanathan Anand | 2,799 | 17th Amber Rapid | D11 |
| Oct 2014 | Alexander Grischuk | 2,797 | Baku FIDE GP | E18 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIDE World Cup | 2023 | 96 | 56 | 2,725 |
| Wch Rapid | 2022 | 84 | 49.5 | 2,700 |
| Wch Blitz | 2022 | 83 | 50 | 2,664 |
| FIDE-Wch k.o. | 2001 | 48 | 29.5 | 2,736 |
| Munich SKA | 1994 | 46 | 27.5 | 2,684 |
| Hoogovens | 1998 | 42 | 21.5 | 2,644 |
| 4th World Blitz | 2009 | 42 | 18.5 | 2,669 |
| Corus | 2008 | 39 | 18 | 2,684 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Vasyl Ivanchuk (126 games) · Viswanathan Anand (115 games) · Peter Leko (84 games) · Alexander Grischuk (80 games) · Alexei Shirov (75 games) · Levon Aronian (70 games) · Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (61 games) · Veselin Topalov (59 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 4,166 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Boris Gelfand's chess games?
4,166 games by Boris Gelfand, 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 Boris Gelfand has played.
What does Boris Gelfand play on the first move as White?
Across 2,097 games with White in our database, Boris Gelfand opens with 1.d4 (67% of games), 1.Nf3 (19% of games), 1.c4 (7% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Boris Gelfand answers 1...c5 (77% of games), 1...e5 (20% of games), 1...e6 (3% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (75% of games), 1...d5 (25% of games), 1...d6 (0% of games).
What openings does Boris Gelfand play as White?
As White, Boris Gelfand's most-played openings in our database are: Slav Defense (296 games, 33.8% win rate); Catalan (264 games, 30.7% win rate); Indian Defense (205 games, 36.6% win rate). The full breakdown of 2,097 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Boris Gelfand play as Black?
As Black, Boris Gelfand most often plays: Sicilian: Najdorf (288 games, 23.3% win rate); Slav Defense (217 games, 22.6% win rate); Petrov's Defense (152 games, 14.5% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 2,069 games.
What is Boris Gelfand's FIDE rating?
Boris Gelfand is currently rated 2,641 in classical chess, 2,624 in rapid and 2,582 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,777 (Jan 2014).
How many games has Boris Gelfand played?
Our database contains 4,166 games by Boris Gelfand, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 1,280 wins, 2,104 draws, 782 losses (30.7% win rate).
How do I prepare against Boris Gelfand?
4,166 games by Boris Gelfand 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.