Prepare against Emil Zhezhov
North Macedonia · World #100,250 classical · FIDE ID 15001318
When preparing against Emil Zhezhov, expect 1.Nf3 in 37% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e6 (46% of games); against 1.d4, 1...e6 (57%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: French Defense as Black, 33.3% over 15 games.
Our database contains 150 games by Emil Zhezhov, covering Apr 2008 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Emil Zhezhov's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Emil Zhezhov 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 | 1,729 | 1,839 | Apr 2008 |
| Rapid | 1,781 | 1,807 | Nov 2014 |
| Blitz | 1,738 | 1,803 | Dec 2024 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 150 | 37 | 30 | 83 | 24.7% |
| As White | 76 | 22 | 12 | 42 | 28.9% |
| As Black | 74 | 15 | 18 | 41 | 20.3% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Emil Zhezhov's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Emil Zhezhov's side.
First moves as White (76 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf3 | 28 | 36.8% | 35.7% |
| e4 | 18 | 23.7% | 19.4% |
| c4 | 16 | 21.1% | 50.0% |
| d4 | 11 | 14.5% | 54.5% |
| b3 | 3 | 3.9% | 16.7% |
Main lines as White
- 1.Nf3 — 37% of White games, 35.7% score
- …Nf6 (50% of these games) — Zhezhov usually continues c4 (42.9% score)
- …d5 (18% of these games) — Zhezhov usually continues g3 (33.3% score)
- …c5 (14% of these games) — Zhezhov usually continues g3 (0.0% score)
- 1.e4 — 24% of White games, 19.4% score
- …e5 (33% of these games) — Zhezhov usually continues Nf3 (20.0% score)
- …c5 (33% of these games) — Zhezhov usually continues Nc3 (0.0% score)
- …c6 (17% of these games) — Zhezhov usually continues d4 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (41 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 19 | 46.3% | 42.1% |
| d6 | 9 | 22.0% | 44.4% |
| c6 | 6 | 14.6% | 25.0% |
| c5 | 5 | 12.2% | 70.0% |
| g6 | 2 | 4.9% | 0.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (23 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 13 | 56.5% | 26.9% |
| d5 | 6 | 26.1% | 8.3% |
| g6 | 2 | 8.7% | 0.0% |
| Nf6 | 1 | 4.3% | 0.0% |
| c6 | 1 | 4.3% | 50.0% |
Emil Zhezhov's chess games
All 150 games by Emil Zhezhov in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2008 - 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: 37 wins, 30 draws, 83 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A05 | Réti Opening | 14 | 5/1/8 | 35.7% |
| A11 | English Opening | 11 | 3/5/3 | 27.3% |
| A21 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 5 | 1/2/2 | 20.0% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 5 | 0/0/5 | 0.0% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 3 | 1/0/2 | 33.3% |
| A11 | English Opening: Slav Setup | 3 | 1/2/0 | 33.3% |
| A01 | Nimzovich-Larsen attack | 3 | 0/1/2 | 0.0% |
| A10 | English Opening: Dutch Defense | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| A07 | King's Indian Attack | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| A80 | Dutch Defense | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B00 | French Defense | 15 | 5/3/7 | 33.3% |
| A90 | Horwitz Defense | 11 | 1/5/5 | 9.1% |
| B06 | Pirc Defense | 9 | 3/2/4 | 33.3% |
| B06 | Caro-Kann | 5 | 0/1/4 | 0.0% |
| B43 | Sicilian | 5 | 3/1/1 | 60.0% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 5 | 0/0/5 | 0.0% |
| A41 | Queen's Pawn Game | 3 | 0/2/1 | 0.0% |
| A95 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| A40 | English Defense | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| A03 | Bird's opening | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2016 | Ante Vidovic | 2,093 | 23rd Zadar Open B | E88 |
| Jul 2014 | Simeun Galic | 1,957 | 2nd Opatija Open | B06 |
| Aug 2024 | Kristijan Novosel | 1,913 | 16th Hum na Sutli Open | C01 |
| Jul 2011 | Done Gjeorgjievski | 1,898 | 20th ch-FRM Open | C01 |
| Jun 2007 | Aleksandar Konstantinov | 1,873 | ch-Skopje | D00 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-FRM Open | 2024 | 35 | 14.5 | 1,703 |
| Skopje Open | 2024 | 21 | 6.5 | 1,791 |
| Skopje Karposh Open | 2018 | 19 | 7 | 2,019 |
| 2nd Opatija Open | 2014 | 9 | 4 | 1,810 |
| Rijeka Open | 2007 | 9 | 3 | 1,942 |
| 20th ch-FRM Open | 2011 | 9 | 3.5 | 1,865 |
| 6th Mediterranean Open | 2013 | 9 | 4.5 | 1,844 |
| ch-Skopje | 2007 | 8 | 3 | 1,964 |
Interactive opening tree from all 150 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Emil Zhezhov's chess games?
150 games by Emil Zhezhov, from Apr 2008 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 Zhezhov has played.
What does Emil Zhezhov play on the first move as White?
Across 76 games with White in our database, Emil Zhezhov opens with 1.Nf3 (37% of games), 1.e4 (24% of games), 1.c4 (21% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Emil Zhezhov answers 1...e6 (46% of games), 1...d6 (22% of games), 1...c6 (15% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...e6 (57% of games), 1...d5 (26% of games), 1...g6 (9% of games).
What openings does Emil Zhezhov play as White?
As White, Emil Zhezhov's most-played openings in our database are: Réti Opening (14 games, 35.7% win rate); English Opening (11 games, 27.3% win rate); English Opening: Reverse Sicilian (5 games, 20.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 76 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Emil Zhezhov play as Black?
As Black, Emil Zhezhov most often plays: French Defense (15 games, 33.3% win rate); Horwitz Defense (11 games, 9.1% win rate); Pirc Defense (9 games, 33.3% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 74 games.
What is Emil Zhezhov's FIDE rating?
Emil Zhezhov is currently rated 1,729 in classical chess, 1,781 in rapid and 1,738 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 1,839 (Apr 2008).
How many games has Emil Zhezhov played?
Our database contains 150 games by Emil Zhezhov, covering Apr 2008 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 37 wins, 30 draws, 83 losses (24.7% win rate).
How do I prepare against Emil Zhezhov?
150 games by Emil Zhezhov 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.