Prepare against Emil Krstev
North Macedonia · World #58,903 classical · FIDE ID 15000958
When preparing against Emil Krstev, expect 1.d4 in 47% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e6 (69% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (39%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Bird's opening as White, 36.4% over 22 games.
Our database contains 269 games by Emil Krstev, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Emil Krstev's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Emil Krstev 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 | 1,860 | 2,217 | Jul 2011 |
| Rapid | 1,915 | 2,143 | Dec 2012 |
| Blitz | 1,940 | 2,177 | Mar 2014 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 269 | 95 | 54 | 116 | 35.3% |
| As White | 137 | 57 | 28 | 49 | 41.6% |
| As Black | 132 | 38 | 26 | 67 | 28.8% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Emil Krstev's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Emil Krstev's side.
First moves as White (137 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 64 | 46.7% | 50.0% |
| f4 | 24 | 17.5% | 50.0% |
| Nf3 | 19 | 13.9% | 68.4% |
| e4 | 11 | 8.0% | 63.6% |
| b3 | 5 | 3.6% | 60.0% |
| b4 | 5 | 3.6% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 47% of White games, 50.0% score
- …Nf6 (45% of these games) — Krstev usually continues c4 (38.5% score)
- …d5 (28% of these games) — Krstev usually continues c4 (70.0% score)
- …g6 (6% of these games) — Krstev usually continues c4 (0.0% score)
- 1.f4 — 18% of White games, 50.0% score
- …d5 (58% of these games) — Krstev usually continues e3 (31.3% score)
- …c5 (13% of these games) — Krstev usually continues Nf3 (75.0% score)
- …Nf6 (13% of these games) — Krstev usually continues Nf3 (66.7% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (65 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 45 | 69.2% | 36.7% |
| d5 | 9 | 13.8% | 61.1% |
| e5 | 6 | 9.2% | 58.3% |
| c6 | 2 | 3.1% | 25.0% |
| b6 | 1 | 1.5% | 100.0% |
| Nf6 | 1 | 1.5% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (46 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 18 | 39.1% | 41.7% |
| d5 | 11 | 23.9% | 36.4% |
| e6 | 8 | 17.4% | 31.3% |
| d6 | 5 | 10.9% | 60.0% |
| f5 | 2 | 4.3% | 0.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 2.2% | 50.0% |
Emil Krstev's chess games
All 269 games by Emil Krstev in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Jul 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: 95 wins, 54 draws, 116 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A03 | Bird's opening | 22 | 8/6/8 | 36.4% |
| D00 | Queen's Pawn Game | 10 | 3/1/5 | 30.0% |
| D02 | London System | 9 | 6/1/2 | 66.7% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 8 | 4/1/3 | 50.0% |
| D01 | Richter-Veresov Attack | 7 | 1/2/3 | 14.3% |
| A06 | Réti Opening | 7 | 4/3/0 | 57.1% |
| A43 | Benoni Defense | 5 | 4/0/1 | 80.0% |
| A42 | Modern Defense | 5 | 1/1/3 | 20.0% |
| A00 | Orangutan opening | 5 | 2/1/2 | 40.0% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 5 | 1/1/3 | 20.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C05 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 13 | 3/2/8 | 23.1% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 11 | 2/2/7 | 18.2% |
| C00 | French Defense | 10 | 3/0/7 | 30.0% |
| B01 | Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation | 8 | 3/3/2 | 37.5% |
| A04 | Dutch Defense | 8 | 1/0/7 | 12.5% |
| C01 | French: Exchange Variation | 6 | 3/2/1 | 50.0% |
| A41 | Rat Defense | 5 | 1/3/0 | 20.0% |
| A48 | London System | 5 | 3/1/1 | 60.0% |
| A07 | Queen's Pawn Game | 4 | 2/2/0 | 50.0% |
| D02 | Indian Defense | 4 | 2/1/1 | 50.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2016 | Filip Pancevski | 2,514 | Skopje Karpos Christmas Open | A58 |
| Mar 2013 | Angelos Sandalakis | 2,401 | Skopje Karposh Open | E08 |
| Jul 2011 | Aleksandar M Popovic | 2,321 | 20th ch-FRM Open | B07 |
| Aug 2017 | Yuriy Kuzmin | 2,293 | ch-FRM | A43 |
| Dec 2018 | Goran Milic | 2,233 | ch-FRM Open | D20 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-FRM Open | 2024 | 62 | 32.5 | 1,937 |
| Skopje Karposh Open | 2018 | 39 | 15.5 | 2,013 |
| ch-FRM | 2019 | 18 | 6 | 2,097 |
| Skopje Open | 2022 | 16 | 6.5 | 1,791 |
| chT2-FRM | 2023 | 12 | 8 | 1,807 |
| 20th EU-ch | 2019 | 11 | 4 | 2,000 |
| 24th ch-FRM Open | 2015 | 9 | 5 | 1,915 |
| 19th Skopje Open | 2011 | 9 | 4 | 1,936 |
Interactive opening tree from all 269 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Emil Krstev's chess games?
269 games by Emil Krstev, from Apr 2003 to Jul 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 Emil Krstev has played.
What does Emil Krstev play on the first move as White?
Across 137 games with White in our database, Emil Krstev opens with 1.d4 (47% of games), 1.f4 (18% of games), 1.Nf3 (14% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Emil Krstev answers 1...e6 (69% of games), 1...d5 (14% of games), 1...e5 (9% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (39% of games), 1...d5 (24% of games), 1...e6 (17% of games).
What openings does Emil Krstev play as White?
As White, Emil Krstev's most-played openings in our database are: Bird's opening (22 games, 36.4% win rate); Queen's Pawn Game (10 games, 30.0% win rate); London System (9 games, 66.7% win rate). The full breakdown of 137 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Emil Krstev play as Black?
As Black, Emil Krstev most often plays: French: Tarrasch Variation (13 games, 23.1% win rate); French: Classical Variation (11 games, 18.2% win rate); French Defense (10 games, 30.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 132 games.
What is Emil Krstev's FIDE rating?
Emil Krstev is currently rated 1,860 in classical chess, 1,915 in rapid and 1,940 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,217 (Jul 2011).
How many games has Emil Krstev played?
Our database contains 269 games by Emil Krstev, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 95 wins, 54 draws, 116 losses (35.3% win rate).
How do I prepare against Emil Krstev?
269 games by Emil Krstev 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.