Prepare against Fabiano Caruana
GM · United States · World #3 classical · FIDE ID 2020009
When preparing against Fabiano Caruana, expect 1.e4 in 57% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (42% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (72%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense as Black, 26.9% over 67 games.
Our database contains 6,806 games by Fabiano Caruana, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Fabiano Caruana's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Fabiano Caruana 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 | 2,789 | 2,844 | Oct 2014 |
| Rapid | 2,682 | 2,858 | Dec 2014 |
| Blitz | 2,738 | 2,847 | Dec 2022 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 6,806 | 3,278 | 2,044 | 1,484 | 48.2% |
| As White | 3,440 | 1,819 | 966 | 655 | 52.9% |
| As Black | 3,366 | 1,459 | 1,078 | 829 | 43.3% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Fabiano Caruana's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Fabiano Caruana's side.
First moves as White (3,433 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 1,967 | 57.3% | 66.6% |
| d4 | 752 | 21.9% | 64.9% |
| c4 | 393 | 11.4% | 70.4% |
| Nf3 | 197 | 5.7% | 63.7% |
| b3 | 43 | 1.3% | 80.2% |
| g3 | 19 | 0.6% | 71.1% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 57% of White games, 66.6% score
- …e5 (43% of these games) — Caruana usually continues Nf3 (62.5% score)
- …c5 (34% of these games) — Caruana usually continues Nf3 (67.8% score)
- …e6 (9% of these games) — Caruana usually continues d4 (66.9% score)
- 1.d4 — 22% of White games, 64.9% score
- …Nf6 (68% of these games) — Caruana usually continues c4 (65.0% score)
- …d5 (23% of these games) — Caruana usually continues c4 (67.2% score)
- …e6 (3% of these games) — Caruana usually continues c4 (58.3% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (1,521 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 635 | 41.7% | 55.6% |
| c5 | 623 | 41.0% | 62.7% |
| e6 | 146 | 9.6% | 66.1% |
| c6 | 74 | 4.9% | 73.6% |
| d6 | 11 | 0.7% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 11 | 0.7% | 40.9% |
As Black against 1.d4 (1,159 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 830 | 71.6% | 59.8% |
| d5 | 217 | 18.7% | 55.5% |
| d6 | 45 | 3.9% | 56.7% |
| e6 | 28 | 2.4% | 62.5% |
| g6 | 15 | 1.3% | 43.3% |
| f5 | 9 | 0.8% | 55.6% |
Fabiano Caruana's chess games
All 6,806 games by Fabiano Caruana in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - 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: 3,278 wins, 2,044 draws, 1,484 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C65 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 218 | 79/105/34 | 36.2% |
| B40 | Sicilian | 190 | 110/47/33 | 57.9% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 188 | 100/40/48 | 53.2% |
| A20 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 151 | 79/39/33 | 52.3% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 136 | 68/36/32 | 50.0% |
| B30 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 116 | 67/28/21 | 57.8% |
| C88 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 106 | 48/38/20 | 45.3% |
| D12 | Slav Defense | 97 | 53/34/10 | 54.6% |
| A09 | Réti Opening | 84 | 36/27/21 | 42.9% |
| E04 | Catalan | 82 | 33/37/12 | 40.2% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 278 | 136/89/53 | 48.9% |
| B42 | Sicilian | 263 | 135/57/71 | 51.3% |
| A21 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 145 | 67/46/32 | 46.2% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 135 | 58/54/23 | 43.0% |
| A05 | Réti Opening | 128 | 66/30/32 | 51.6% |
| D12 | Slav Defense | 116 | 39/47/30 | 33.6% |
| B30 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 88 | 37/27/24 | 42.0% |
| E04 | Catalan | 84 | 29/33/22 | 34.5% |
| A13 | English Opening | 70 | 27/28/15 | 38.6% |
| D38 | Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense | 67 | 18/31/18 | 26.9% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2019 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,882 | Saint Louis Rapid | B30 |
| Jun 2012 | Levon Aronian | 2,825 | 7th Moscow Tal Memorial Blitz | C67 |
| Oct 2018 | Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | 2,820 | Olympiad-43 | C83 |
| Jul 2026 | Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 2,820 | USA vs Uzbekistan - WR Chess Rapid & Blitz Miami 2026 | B92 |
| Oct 2025 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2,816 | Clutch Chess: Champions | B40 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 1,681 | 1,285.5 | 2,685 |
| Saint Louis Blitz | 2025 | 144 | 71 | 2,748 |
| PRO League Stage | 2020 | 105 | 79.5 | 2,784 |
| Speed Chess | 2022 | 94 | 36 | 2,684 |
| 1st 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 81 | 59 | 2,636 |
| FIDE World Cup | 2023 | 81 | 49.5 | 2,743 |
| 2nd 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 79 | 57 | 2,658 |
| Saint Louis Rapid | 2025 | 72 | 40.5 | 2,803 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Hikaru Nakamura (283 games) · Magnus Carlsen (219 games) · Wesley So (209 games) · Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (186 games) · Levon Aronian (176 games) · Anish Giri (112 games) · Alireza Firouzja (108 games) · Viswanathan Anand (91 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 6,806 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Fabiano Caruana's chess games?
6,806 games by Fabiano Caruana, from Apr 2003 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 Fabiano Caruana has played.
What does Fabiano Caruana play on the first move as White?
Across 3,433 games with White in our database, Fabiano Caruana opens with 1.e4 (57% of games), 1.d4 (22% of games), 1.c4 (11% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Fabiano Caruana answers 1...e5 (42% of games), 1...c5 (41% of games), 1...e6 (10% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (72% of games), 1...d5 (19% of games), 1...d6 (4% of games).
What openings does Fabiano Caruana play as White?
As White, Fabiano Caruana's most-played openings in our database are: Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense (218 games, 36.2% win rate); Sicilian (190 games, 57.9% win rate); Indian Defense (188 games, 53.2% win rate). The full breakdown of 3,440 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Fabiano Caruana play as Black?
As Black, Fabiano Caruana most often plays: Indian Defense (278 games, 48.9% win rate); Sicilian (263 games, 51.3% win rate); English Opening: Reverse Sicilian (145 games, 46.2% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 3,366 games.
What is Fabiano Caruana's FIDE rating?
Fabiano Caruana is currently rated 2,789 in classical chess, 2,682 in rapid and 2,738 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,844 (Oct 2014).
How many games has Fabiano Caruana played?
Our database contains 6,806 games by Fabiano Caruana, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 3,278 wins, 2,044 draws, 1,484 losses (48.2% win rate).
How do I prepare against Fabiano Caruana?
6,806 games by Fabiano Caruana 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.