Prepare against Hikaru Nakamura
GM · United States · World #2 classical · FIDE ID 2016192
When preparing against Hikaru Nakamura, expect 1.e4 in 31% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (36% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (50%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense as Black, 22.8% over 359 games.
Our database contains 10,900 games by Hikaru Nakamura, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Hikaru Nakamura's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Hikaru Nakamura 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 | 2,792 | 2,816 | Oct 2025 |
| Rapid | 2,738 | 2,853 | Jul 2019 |
| Blitz | 2,800 | 2,934 | May 2019 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 10,900 | 6,205 | 2,975 | 1,720 | 56.9% |
| As White | 5,539 | 3,398 | 1,415 | 726 | 61.3% |
| As Black | 5,361 | 2,807 | 1,560 | 994 | 52.4% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Hikaru Nakamura's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Hikaru Nakamura's side.
First moves as White (5,540 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 1,745 | 31.5% | 68.6% |
| Nf3 | 1,570 | 28.3% | 80.1% |
| d4 | 1,043 | 18.8% | 68.5% |
| b3 | 503 | 9.1% | 81.9% |
| c4 | 313 | 5.6% | 69.5% |
| g3 | 119 | 2.1% | 87.8% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 31% of White games, 68.6% score
- …e5 (39% of these games) — Nakamura usually continues Nf3 (62.6% score)
- …c5 (37% of these games) — Nakamura usually continues Nf3 (68.2% score)
- …e6 (9% of these games) — Nakamura usually continues d4 (66.5% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 28% of White games, 80.1% score
- …d5 (46% of these games) — Nakamura usually continues e3 (75.1% score)
- …Nf6 (40% of these games) — Nakamura usually continues b3 (83.8% score)
- …c5 (8% of these games) — Nakamura usually continues e4 (79.4% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (2,581 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 919 | 35.6% | 56.3% |
| c5 | 592 | 22.9% | 64.3% |
| g6 | 390 | 15.1% | 80.8% |
| c6 | 214 | 8.3% | 78.3% |
| d5 | 126 | 4.9% | 70.6% |
| e6 | 107 | 4.1% | 69.6% |
As Black against 1.d4 (1,920 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 954 | 49.7% | 59.8% |
| g6 | 376 | 19.6% | 84.2% |
| d5 | 233 | 12.1% | 59.9% |
| f5 | 132 | 6.9% | 75.0% |
| e6 | 68 | 3.5% | 75.7% |
| a6 | 51 | 2.7% | 85.3% |
Hikaru Nakamura's chess games
All 10,900 games by Hikaru Nakamura 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: 6,205 wins, 2,975 draws, 1,720 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A06 | Réti Opening | 920 | 659/163/98 | 71.6% |
| A01 | Nimzovich-Larsen attack | 494 | 365/80/49 | 73.9% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 273 | 151/76/46 | 55.3% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 229 | 126/83/20 | 55.0% |
| D11 | Slav Defense | 217 | 110/71/36 | 50.7% |
| C65 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 177 | 43/113/21 | 24.3% |
| A06 | Nimzo-Larsen Attack | 176 | 132/29/15 | 75.0% |
| A45 | Trompowsky Attack | 162 | 106/35/21 | 65.4% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 117 | 69/24/24 | 59.0% |
| A00 | Hungarian Opening | 104 | 86/10/8 | 82.7% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B06 | Modern Defense | 830 | 632/85/113 | 76.1% |
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 359 | 82/200/77 | 22.8% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 343 | 146/133/64 | 42.6% |
| B40 | Sicilian | 196 | 101/55/40 | 51.5% |
| D02 | Réti Opening | 154 | 89/35/30 | 57.8% |
| A28 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 146 | 77/44/25 | 52.7% |
| E05 | Catalan | 146 | 43/80/23 | 29.5% |
| A80 | Dutch Defense | 143 | 87/38/18 | 60.8% |
| A40 | Queen's Pawn Game | 133 | 94/20/19 | 70.7% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 133 | 60/41/32 | 45.1% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2020 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,863 | Carlsen Tour Final | C73 |
| Dec 2022 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,847 | Wch Blitz | A20 |
| Feb 2014 | Levon Aronian | 2,826 | Zuerich Chess Challenge Rapid | A01 |
| Jul 2026 | Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 2,820 | USA vs Uzbekistan - WR Chess Rapid & Blitz Miami 2026 | D31 |
| Aug 2016 | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | 2,819 | chess.com sf blitz 1m+1spm | A04 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 4,541 | 3,674.5 | 2,758 |
| Bullet Chess Winners | 2024 | 284 | 173.5 | 2,761 |
| Speed Chess | 2022 | 205 | 132 | 2,849 |
| 1st 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 132 | 102.5 | 2,755 |
| chess.com Speed | 2020 | 114 | 73 | 2,784 |
| ch-USA | 2020 | 109 | 70.5 | 2,729 |
| Saint Louis Blitz | 2024 | 107 | 69.5 | 2,881 |
| Chess.com Speed Chess | 2023 | 98 | 60 | 2,854 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Magnus Carlsen (398 games) · Wesley So (294 games) · Fabiano Caruana (283 games) · Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (247 games) · Alireza Firouzja (244 games) · Levon Aronian (217 games) · Ian Nepomniachtchi (172 games) · Anish Giri (129 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 10,900 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Hikaru Nakamura's chess games?
10,900 games by Hikaru Nakamura, 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 Hikaru Nakamura has played.
What does Hikaru Nakamura play on the first move as White?
Across 5,540 games with White in our database, Hikaru Nakamura opens with 1.e4 (31% of games), 1.Nf3 (28% of games), 1.d4 (19% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Hikaru Nakamura answers 1...e5 (36% of games), 1...c5 (23% of games), 1...g6 (15% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (50% of games), 1...g6 (20% of games), 1...d5 (12% of games).
What openings does Hikaru Nakamura play as White?
As White, Hikaru Nakamura's most-played openings in our database are: Réti Opening (920 games, 71.6% win rate); Nimzovich-Larsen attack (494 games, 73.9% win rate); Sicilian (273 games, 55.3% win rate). The full breakdown of 5,539 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Hikaru Nakamura play as Black?
As Black, Hikaru Nakamura most often plays: Modern Defense (830 games, 76.1% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense (359 games, 22.8% win rate); Indian Defense (343 games, 42.6% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 5,361 games.
What is Hikaru Nakamura's FIDE rating?
Hikaru Nakamura is currently rated 2,792 in classical chess, 2,738 in rapid and 2,800 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,816 (Oct 2025).
How many games has Hikaru Nakamura played?
Our database contains 10,900 games by Hikaru Nakamura, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 6,205 wins, 2,975 draws, 1,720 losses (56.9% win rate).
How do I prepare against Hikaru Nakamura?
10,900 games by Hikaru Nakamura 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.