Prepare against Duc Minh Lai
VNM · World #9,594 classical · FIDE ID 12420387
When preparing against Duc Minh Lai, expect 1.d4 in 58% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (42% of games); against 1.d4, 1...e6 (39%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Queen's Pawn Game as Black, 19.2% over 26 games.
Our database contains 1,821 games by Duc Minh Lai, covering Jul 2019 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Duc Minh Lai's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Duc Minh Lai 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 | 2,177 | 2,177 | Sep 2026 |
| Rapid | 2,043 | 2,072 | Mar 2026 |
| Blitz | 2,146 | 2,146 | Sep 2026 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,821 | 900 | 141 | 780 | 49.4% |
| As White | 916 | 476 | 71 | 369 | 52.0% |
| As Black | 905 | 424 | 70 | 411 | 46.9% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Duc Minh Lai's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Duc Minh Lai's side.
First moves as White (915 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 532 | 58.1% | 55.0% |
| e4 | 275 | 30.1% | 59.6% |
| c4 | 100 | 10.9% | 49.0% |
| Nf3 | 5 | 0.5% | 60.0% |
| f4 | 2 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
| d3 | 1 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 58% of White games, 55.0% score
- …Nf6 (58% of these games) — Lai usually continues Nf3 (59.5% score)
- …d5 (27% of these games) — Lai usually continues Nf3 (57.2% score)
- …e6 (5% of these games) — Lai usually continues e4 (75.0% score)
- 1.e4 — 30% of White games, 59.6% score
- …c5 (40% of these games) — Lai usually continues d4 (64.4% score)
- …e5 (17% of these games) — Lai usually continues Nf3 (52.3% score)
- …e6 (14% of these games) — Lai usually continues d4 (63.2% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (384 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 161 | 41.9% | 39.8% |
| c5 | 112 | 29.2% | 69.2% |
| c6 | 57 | 14.8% | 52.6% |
| e6 | 29 | 7.6% | 56.9% |
| d6 | 16 | 4.2% | 25.0% |
| d5 | 9 | 2.3% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (327 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 126 | 38.5% | 54.4% |
| f5 | 78 | 23.9% | 62.8% |
| d6 | 46 | 14.1% | 42.4% |
| d5 | 39 | 11.9% | 33.3% |
| Nf6 | 37 | 11.3% | 41.9% |
Duc Minh Lai's chess games
All 1,821 games by Duc Minh Lai in the Chess.ceo database (Jul 2019 - 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: 900 wins, 141 draws, 780 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 95 | 46/7/42 | 48.4% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 88 | 51/6/31 | 58.0% |
| B21 | Sicilian: Smith-Morra Gambit | 67 | 40/5/22 | 59.7% |
| A45 | London System | 51 | 25/4/22 | 49.0% |
| A13 | English Opening | 44 | 20/5/19 | 45.5% |
| D00 | Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation | 36 | 23/1/12 | 63.9% |
| E06 | Catalan | 30 | 15/4/11 | 50.0% |
| A43 | Benoni Defense | 30 | 19/1/10 | 63.3% |
| C45 | Scotch Game | 30 | 16/2/12 | 53.3% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 28 | 18/1/9 | 64.3% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A80 | Dutch Defense | 106 | 63/5/38 | 59.4% |
| A40 | Horwitz Defense | 101 | 58/4/39 | 57.4% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 64 | 15/5/44 | 23.4% |
| A37 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 46 | 17/4/25 | 37.0% |
| B32 | Sicilian | 43 | 33/2/8 | 76.7% |
| A04 | Réti Opening | 33 | 15/5/13 | 45.5% |
| B27 | Sicilian: Hyperaccelerated Dragon | 29 | 14/5/10 | 48.3% |
| A41 | Queen's Pawn Game | 26 | 5/2/19 | 19.2% |
| A41 | Rat Defense | 25 | 11/0/14 | 44.0% |
| C79 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 18 | 13/0/5 | 72.2% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2026 | Santosh Gujrathi Vidit | 2,708 | Titled Tue 2nd Jun 2026 | C00 |
| May 2026 | Chithambaram VR. Aravindh | 2,692 | 3rd 3-0 Thu 21st May 2026 | C42 |
| May 2026 | Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara | 2,650 | 3rd 3-0 Thu 28th May 2026 | A40 |
| Jan 2025 | Alexei Shirov | 2,648 | Titled Tue Early | C02 |
| Apr 2026 | Shamsiddin Vokhidov | 2,641 | 1st 3-0 Thursday | A01 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 914 | 489.5 | 2,291 |
| 3rd 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 260 | 137.5 | 2,293 |
| 1st 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 243 | 131 | 2,314 |
| 2nd 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 138 | 66.5 | 2,274 |
| 1st 3-0 Thu 23rd Jul 2026 | 2026 | 11 | 5.5 | 2,245 |
| 1st 3-0 Thu 11th Jun 2026 | 2026 | 11 | 6.5 | 2,400 |
| 3rd 3-0 Thu 20th Aug 2026 | 2026 | 11 | 6 | 2,290 |
| 3rd 3-0 Thu 4th Jun 2026 | 2026 | 11 | 6 | 2,255 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Benedict Smail (15 games) · Ian Ocampos (11 games) · Akeem Brown (10 games) · Georgijs Germanovs (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,821 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Duc Minh Lai's chess games?
1,821 games by Duc Minh Lai, from Jul 2019 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 Duc Minh Lai has played.
What does Duc Minh Lai play on the first move as White?
Across 915 games with White in our database, Duc Minh Lai opens with 1.d4 (58% of games), 1.e4 (30% of games), 1.c4 (11% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Duc Minh Lai answers 1...e5 (42% of games), 1...c5 (29% of games), 1...c6 (15% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...e6 (39% of games), 1...f5 (24% of games), 1...d6 (14% of games).
What openings does Duc Minh Lai play as White?
As White, Duc Minh Lai's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (95 games, 48.4% win rate); Queen's Pawn Game (88 games, 58.0% win rate); Sicilian: Smith-Morra Gambit (67 games, 59.7% win rate). The full breakdown of 916 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Duc Minh Lai play as Black?
As Black, Duc Minh Lai most often plays: Dutch Defense (106 games, 59.4% win rate); Horwitz Defense (101 games, 57.4% win rate); Petrov's Defense (64 games, 23.4% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 905 games.
What is Duc Minh Lai's FIDE rating?
Duc Minh Lai is currently rated 2,177 in classical chess, 2,043 in rapid and 2,146 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,177 (Sep 2026).
How many games has Duc Minh Lai played?
Our database contains 1,821 games by Duc Minh Lai, covering Jul 2019 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 900 wins, 141 draws, 780 losses (49.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against Duc Minh Lai?
1,821 games by Duc Minh Lai 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.