Prepare against Ian Nepomniachtchi
GM · Russia · World #23 classical · FIDE ID 4168119
When preparing against Ian Nepomniachtchi, expect 1.e4 in 76% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (59% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (85%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Petrov's Defense as Black, 24.0% over 96 games.
Our database contains 5,450 games by Ian Nepomniachtchi, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Ian Nepomniachtchi's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Ian Nepomniachtchi 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 | 2,719 | 2,795 | Apr 2023 |
| Rapid | 2,729 | 2,821 | Jul 2022 |
| Blitz | 2,765 | 2,880 | Nov 2014 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 5,450 | 2,466 | 1,876 | 1,108 | 45.2% |
| As White | 2,773 | 1,400 | 897 | 476 | 50.5% |
| As Black | 2,677 | 1,066 | 979 | 632 | 39.8% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Ian Nepomniachtchi's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Ian Nepomniachtchi's side.
First moves as White (2,770 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 2,095 | 75.6% | 67.2% |
| c4 | 276 | 10.0% | 65.4% |
| d4 | 214 | 7.7% | 65.4% |
| Nf3 | 100 | 3.6% | 58.5% |
| b3 | 56 | 2.0% | 67.0% |
| g4 | 9 | 0.3% | 72.2% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 76% of White games, 67.2% score
- …e5 (40% of these games) — Nepomniachtchi usually continues Nf3 (62.1% score)
- …c5 (35% of these games) — Nepomniachtchi usually continues Nf3 (68.9% score)
- …c6 (10% of these games) — Nepomniachtchi usually continues d4 (72.5% score)
- 1.c4 — 10% of White games, 65.4% score
- …Nf6 (30% of these games) — Nepomniachtchi usually continues Nc3 (61.9% score)
- …e5 (26% of these games) — Nepomniachtchi usually continues Nc3 (62.1% score)
- …e6 (19% of these games) — Nepomniachtchi usually continues Nc3 (74.2% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (1,144 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 673 | 58.8% | 60.7% |
| e5 | 204 | 17.8% | 54.9% |
| e6 | 167 | 14.6% | 58.4% |
| g6 | 28 | 2.4% | 62.5% |
| d6 | 20 | 1.7% | 57.5% |
| c6 | 16 | 1.4% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (955 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 810 | 84.8% | 57.6% |
| d5 | 47 | 4.9% | 54.3% |
| f5 | 39 | 4.1% | 62.8% |
| g6 | 24 | 2.5% | 58.3% |
| e6 | 15 | 1.6% | 36.7% |
| d6 | 9 | 0.9% | 55.6% |
Ian Nepomniachtchi's chess games
All 5,450 games by Ian Nepomniachtchi 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: 2,466 wins, 1,876 draws, 1,108 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B41 | Sicilian | 225 | 124/68/33 | 55.1% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 160 | 94/42/24 | 58.8% |
| C65 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 128 | 37/72/19 | 28.9% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 112 | 50/39/23 | 44.6% |
| C36 | King's Gambit | 100 | 73/8/19 | 73.0% |
| C84 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 86 | 39/39/8 | 45.3% |
| C45 | Scotch Game | 86 | 42/35/9 | 48.8% |
| B30 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 86 | 41/26/19 | 47.7% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 84 | 41/32/11 | 48.8% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 79 | 51/11/17 | 64.6% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 316 | 130/101/85 | 41.1% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 215 | 85/87/43 | 39.5% |
| D85 | Indian Defense | 210 | 70/87/53 | 33.3% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 142 | 74/38/30 | 52.1% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 105 | 45/38/22 | 42.9% |
| A20 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 98 | 40/30/28 | 40.8% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 96 | 23/55/18 | 24.0% |
| A04 | Réti Opening | 92 | 32/23/37 | 34.8% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 92 | 44/24/24 | 47.8% |
| A16 | English Opening | 86 | 23/45/18 | 26.7% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2022 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,865 | Airthings Masters Prelim | E05 |
| May 2020 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,835 | Chessbrahmin May | A29 |
| Sep 2015 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2,816 | FIDE World Cup | A26 |
| Jul 2021 | Garry Kasparov | 2,812 | Zagreb GCT Blitz | D38 |
| Apr 2017 | Vladimir Kramnik | 2,811 | 6th Zuerich Chess Challenge Blitz2 | D36 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 1,110 | 853.5 | 2,681 |
| Wch Blitz | 2023 | 147 | 91.5 | 2,764 |
| Wch Rapid | 2023 | 143 | 93.5 | 2,797 |
| Saint Louis Blitz | 2024 | 90 | 45 | 2,756 |
| chess.com Speed | 2020 | 75 | 48.5 | 2,758 |
| FIDE World Cup | 2025 | 72 | 40.5 | 2,723 |
| Beijing Sportaccord Blitz | 2014 | 60 | 34 | 2,793 |
| Chess.com Speed Chess | 2023 | 55 | 23.5 | 2,718 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Magnus Carlsen (173 games) · Hikaru Nakamura (172 games) · Levon Aronian (135 games) · Anish Giri (128 games) · Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (125 games) · Alexander Grischuk (115 games) · Alireza Firouzja (99 games) · Liren Ding (86 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 5,450 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Ian Nepomniachtchi's chess games?
5,450 games by Ian Nepomniachtchi, 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 Ian Nepomniachtchi has played.
What does Ian Nepomniachtchi play on the first move as White?
Across 2,770 games with White in our database, Ian Nepomniachtchi opens with 1.e4 (76% of games), 1.c4 (10% of games), 1.d4 (8% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Ian Nepomniachtchi answers 1...c5 (59% of games), 1...e5 (18% of games), 1...e6 (15% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (85% of games), 1...d5 (5% of games), 1...f5 (4% of games).
What openings does Ian Nepomniachtchi play as White?
As White, Ian Nepomniachtchi's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (225 games, 55.1% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (160 games, 58.8% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense (128 games, 28.9% win rate). The full breakdown of 2,773 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Ian Nepomniachtchi play as Black?
As Black, Ian Nepomniachtchi most often plays: Sicilian: Najdorf (316 games, 41.1% win rate); Grünfeld Defense (215 games, 39.5% win rate); Indian Defense (210 games, 33.3% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 2,677 games.
What is Ian Nepomniachtchi's FIDE rating?
Ian Nepomniachtchi is currently rated 2,719 in classical chess, 2,729 in rapid and 2,765 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,795 (Apr 2023).
How many games has Ian Nepomniachtchi played?
Our database contains 5,450 games by Ian Nepomniachtchi, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 2,466 wins, 1,876 draws, 1,108 losses (45.2% win rate).
How do I prepare against Ian Nepomniachtchi?
5,450 games by Ian Nepomniachtchi 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.