Prepare against Emil Sutovsky
GM · Israel · World #179 classical · FIDE ID 2802007
Our database contains 2,013 games by Emil Sutovsky, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Emil Sutovsky's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Emil Sutovsky 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 | 2,592 | 2,703 | Jan 2012 |
| Rapid | 2,586 | 2,684 | Jan 2013 |
| Blitz | 2,524 | 2,647 | Dec 2019 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,013 | 820 | 795 | 398 | 40.7% |
| As White | 1,024 | 490 | 367 | 167 | 47.9% |
| As Black | 989 | 330 | 428 | 231 | 33.4% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Emil Sutovsky's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Emil Sutovsky's side.
First moves as White (1,024 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 1,018 | 99.4% | 65.8% |
| Nf3 | 5 | 0.5% | 70.0% |
| d4 | 1 | 0.1% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 99% of White games, 65.8% score
- …c5 (37% of these games) — Sutovsky usually continues Nf3 (71.2% score)
- …e5 (33% of these games) — Sutovsky usually continues Nf3 (61.6% score)
- …e6 (12% of these games) — Sutovsky usually continues d4 (60.2% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 0% of White games, 70.0% score
- …d5 (80% of these games) — Sutovsky usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- …Nf6 (20% of these games) — Sutovsky usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (377 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 299 | 79.3% | 58.4% |
| e5 | 41 | 10.9% | 48.8% |
| e6 | 18 | 4.8% | 61.1% |
| c6 | 12 | 3.2% | 50.0% |
| d5 | 4 | 1.1% | 87.5% |
| g6 | 1 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (383 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 365 | 95.3% | 53.7% |
| e6 | 6 | 1.6% | 83.3% |
| g6 | 6 | 1.6% | 8.3% |
| d5 | 4 | 1.0% | 37.5% |
| f5 | 1 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
Emil Sutovsky's chess games
All 2,013 games by Emil Sutovsky 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: 820 wins, 795 draws, 398 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B43 | Sicilian | 129 | 69/46/14 | 53.5% |
| C91 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 96 | 40/36/20 | 41.7% |
| B31 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 72 | 43/17/12 | 59.7% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 66 | 39/13/14 | 59.1% |
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 59 | 15/40/4 | 25.4% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 54 | 29/16/9 | 53.7% |
| C13 | French: Classical Variation | 47 | 17/20/10 | 36.2% |
| C43 | Petrov's Defense | 38 | 17/16/5 | 44.7% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 36 | 18/11/7 | 50.0% |
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 32 | 15/8/9 | 46.9% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 158 | 48/74/36 | 30.4% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 118 | 48/46/24 | 40.7% |
| D76 | Indian Defense | 90 | 29/44/17 | 32.2% |
| A16 | English Opening | 85 | 23/38/24 | 27.1% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 67 | 23/21/23 | 34.3% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 48 | 17/15/16 | 35.4% |
| A34 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 30 | 7/15/8 | 23.3% |
| E62 | King's Indian Defense | 27 | 10/11/6 | 37.0% |
| B52 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 26 | 4/17/5 | 15.4% |
| B31 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 25 | 11/12/2 | 44.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2013 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,772 | chT-RUS 20th | C41 |
| Sep 2011 | Vassily Ivanchuk | 2,768 | FIDE World Cup | B55 |
| Jul 2005 | Vladimir Kramnik | 2,744 | 33rd Dortmund SuperGM | C66 |
| Mar 2003 | Michael Adams | 2,734 | Reykjavik Edda Rapid | C45 |
| May 2004 | Alexander Morozevich | 2,732 | chT-BCF 0304 (4NCL) | B30 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| chT-ISR | 2024 | 127 | 84 | 2,614 |
| ch-ISR | 2002 | 31 | 18.5 | 2,563 |
| Gibraltar Masters | 2007 | 29 | 22 | 2,701 |
| FIDE World Cup | 2011 | 29 | 13 | 2,604 |
| Moscow Aeroflot Open A | 2007 | 26 | 18 | 2,740 |
| Wch Blitz | 2019 | 21 | 9 | 2,440 |
| Wch U18 | 1995 | 20 | 14.5 | 2,539 |
| MK Cafe Cup A | 1999 | 20 | 12.5 | 2,613 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Aleksey Dreev (21 games) · Etienne Bacrot (20 games) · Vasyl Ivanchuk (18 games) · Victor Bologan (14 games) · Loek Van Wely (13 games) · Ilia Smirin (13 games) · Boris Gelfand (13 games) · Victor Mikhalevski (12 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,013 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Emil Sutovsky's chess games?
2,013 games by Emil Sutovsky, 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 Emil Sutovsky has played.
What does Emil Sutovsky play on the first move as White?
Across 1,024 games with White in our database, Emil Sutovsky opens with 1.e4 (99% of games), 1.Nf3 (0% of games), 1.d4 (0% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Emil Sutovsky answers 1...c5 (79% of games), 1...e5 (11% of games), 1...e6 (5% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (95% of games), 1...e6 (2% of games), 1...g6 (2% of games).
What openings does Emil Sutovsky play as White?
As White, Emil Sutovsky's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (129 games, 53.5% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (96 games, 41.7% win rate); Sicilian: Rossolimo (72 games, 59.7% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,024 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Emil Sutovsky play as Black?
As Black, Emil Sutovsky most often plays: Grünfeld Defense (158 games, 30.4% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (118 games, 40.7% win rate); Indian Defense (90 games, 32.2% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 989 games.
What is Emil Sutovsky's FIDE rating?
Emil Sutovsky is currently rated 2,592 in classical chess, 2,586 in rapid and 2,524 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,703 (Jan 2012).
How many games has Emil Sutovsky played?
Our database contains 2,013 games by Emil Sutovsky, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 820 wins, 795 draws, 398 losses (40.7% win rate).
How do I prepare against Emil Sutovsky?
2,013 games by Emil Sutovsky 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.