Prepare against Heikki Salo
FM · Finland · World #8,859 classical · FIDE ID 500593
Our database contains 506 games by Heikki Salo, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Heikki Salo's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Heikki Salo 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 | 2,188 | 2,310 | Oct 2003 |
| Rapid | 2,122 | 2,221 | Jan 2020 |
| Blitz | 2,135 | 2,236 | Nov 2023 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 506 | 177 | 174 | 155 | 35.0% |
| As White | 261 | 98 | 91 | 72 | 37.5% |
| As Black | 245 | 79 | 83 | 83 | 32.2% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Heikki Salo's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Heikki Salo's side.
First moves as White (261 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 244 | 93.5% | 54.5% |
| Nf3 | 10 | 3.8% | 45.0% |
| c4 | 7 | 2.7% | 85.7% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 93% of White games, 54.5% score
- …Nf6 (56% of these games) — Salo usually continues c4 (52.1% score)
- …d5 (22% of these games) — Salo usually continues c4 (59.8% score)
- …e6 (7% of these games) — Salo usually continues c4 (59.1% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 4% of White games, 45.0% score
- …d5 (40% of these games) — Salo usually continues g3 (50.0% score)
- …Nf6 (40% of these games) — Salo usually continues c4 (37.5% score)
- …c5 (10% of these games) — Salo usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (115 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 96 | 83.5% | 50.0% |
| Nf6 | 17 | 14.8% | 64.7% |
| d5 | 1 | 0.9% | 50.0% |
| c6 | 1 | 0.9% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (80 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 73 | 91.3% | 44.5% |
| d5 | 7 | 8.8% | 21.4% |
Heikki Salo's chess games
All 506 games by Heikki Salo 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: 177 wins, 174 draws, 155 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E44 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 32 | 13/10/9 | 40.6% |
| E97 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 28 | 10/8/10 | 35.7% |
| D36 | Indian Defense | 27 | 10/9/8 | 37.0% |
| D19 | Slav Defense | 24 | 10/7/7 | 41.7% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 17 | 4/7/6 | 23.5% |
| D90 | Grünfeld Defense | 15 | 4/5/6 | 26.7% |
| A81 | Dutch Defense | 12 | 7/2/3 | 58.3% |
| D21 | Queen's Gambit Accepted | 10 | 4/2/4 | 40.0% |
| A21 | Queen's Pawn Game | 9 | 2/5/2 | 22.2% |
| A42 | Modern Defense | 8 | 2/4/2 | 25.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C95 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 23 | 8/7/8 | 34.8% |
| B02 | Alekhine Defense | 17 | 9/4/4 | 52.9% |
| E92 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 16 | 4/4/8 | 25.0% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 14 | 3/5/6 | 21.4% |
| C55 | Italian Game | 14 | 3/6/5 | 21.4% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 12 | 3/3/6 | 25.0% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 10 | 2/5/3 | 20.0% |
| A13 | English Opening | 9 | 3/4/2 | 33.3% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 9 | 3/5/1 | 33.3% |
| C47 | Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation | 8 | 3/3/2 | 37.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2009 | Juraj Lipka | 2,418 | 25th EU-Cup | D30 |
| Jan 1992 | Joose Norri | 2,395 | ch-FIN | A81 |
| Jan 1991 | Ilkka J Saren | 2,385 | chT-FIN | B04 |
| Jan 1991 | Atle Gronn | 2,365 | Troll Masters | D31 |
| Mar 2003 | Mikael Nouro | 2,350 | chT-FIN 0203 | C42 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| chT-FIN | 1995 | 64 | 35 | 2,326 |
| ch-FIN | 1993 | 18 | 9 | 2,348 |
| ch-Helsinki | 1993 | 18 | 6.5 | 2,197 |
| FIN Team Cup | 2014 | 13 | 7.5 | 2,288 |
| chT-FIN 1516 | 2016 | 11 | 6 | 2,268 |
| chT-FIN 1112 | 2012 | 11 | 8.5 | 2,437 |
| chT-FIN 1617 | 2017 | 11 | 4.5 | 2,142 |
| chT-FIN 2025-26 | 2026 | 11 | 6 | 2,211 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Nuutti Sorsa (11 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 506 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Heikki Salo's chess games?
506 games by Heikki Salo, 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 Heikki Salo has played.
What does Heikki Salo play on the first move as White?
Across 261 games with White in our database, Heikki Salo opens with 1.d4 (93% of games), 1.Nf3 (4% of games), 1.c4 (3% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Heikki Salo answers 1...e5 (83% of games), 1...Nf6 (15% of games), 1...d5 (1% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (91% of games), 1...d5 (9% of games).
What openings does Heikki Salo play as White?
As White, Heikki Salo's most-played openings in our database are: Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System (32 games, 40.6% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (28 games, 35.7% win rate); Indian Defense (27 games, 37.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 261 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Heikki Salo play as Black?
As Black, Heikki Salo most often plays: Ruy Lopez: Closed (23 games, 34.8% win rate); Alekhine Defense (17 games, 52.9% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (16 games, 25.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 245 games.
What is Heikki Salo's FIDE rating?
Heikki Salo is currently rated 2,188 in classical chess, 2,122 in rapid and 2,135 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,310 (Oct 2003).
How many games has Heikki Salo played?
Our database contains 506 games by Heikki Salo, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 177 wins, 174 draws, 155 losses (35.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against Heikki Salo?
506 games by Heikki Salo 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.