Prepare against Igor Kovalenko
GM · Ukraine · World #77 classical · FIDE ID 14117908
When preparing against Igor Kovalenko, expect 1.d4 in 45% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (37% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (75%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Slav Defense as Black, 32.7% over 55 games.
Our database contains 3,289 games by Igor Kovalenko, covering Jul 2004 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Igor Kovalenko's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Igor Kovalenko 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 | 2,642 | 2,702 | Aug 2015 |
| Rapid | 2,589 | 2,750 | Mar 2016 |
| Blitz | 2,610 | 2,774 | Apr 2015 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3,289 | 1,821 | 693 | 775 | 55.4% |
| As White | 1,658 | 985 | 326 | 347 | 59.4% |
| As Black | 1,631 | 836 | 367 | 428 | 51.3% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Igor Kovalenko's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Igor Kovalenko's side.
First moves as White (1,658 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 752 | 45.4% | 69.9% |
| e4 | 425 | 25.6% | 70.4% |
| c4 | 369 | 22.3% | 67.6% |
| Nf3 | 99 | 6.0% | 67.7% |
| b3 | 8 | 0.5% | 43.8% |
| e3 | 1 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 45% of White games, 69.9% score
- …Nf6 (60% of these games) — Kovalenko usually continues Nf3 (66.0% score)
- …d5 (29% of these games) — Kovalenko usually continues c4 (70.6% score)
- …g6 (3% of these games) — Kovalenko usually continues e4 (68.2% score)
- 1.e4 — 26% of White games, 70.4% score
- …c5 (42% of these games) — Kovalenko usually continues Nf3 (67.6% score)
- …e5 (27% of these games) — Kovalenko usually continues Nf3 (70.5% score)
- …e6 (15% of these games) — Kovalenko usually continues d4 (63.9% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (698 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 255 | 36.5% | 64.1% |
| d5 | 153 | 21.9% | 57.2% |
| c6 | 103 | 14.8% | 68.4% |
| e6 | 83 | 11.9% | 54.8% |
| e5 | 67 | 9.6% | 49.3% |
| Nf6 | 23 | 3.3% | 73.9% |
As Black against 1.d4 (614 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 461 | 75.1% | 64.9% |
| d5 | 71 | 11.6% | 57.7% |
| e6 | 35 | 5.7% | 72.9% |
| f5 | 25 | 4.1% | 56.0% |
| g6 | 11 | 1.8% | 72.7% |
| d6 | 5 | 0.8% | 70.0% |
Igor Kovalenko's chess games
All 3,289 games by Igor Kovalenko in the Chess.ceo database (Jul 2004 - 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: 1,821 wins, 693 draws, 775 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E14 | Indian Defense | 184 | 109/33/42 | 59.2% |
| D45 | Slav Defense | 121 | 73/30/18 | 60.3% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 107 | 56/22/29 | 52.3% |
| A13 | English Opening | 88 | 58/9/21 | 65.9% |
| B40 | Sicilian | 68 | 44/11/13 | 64.7% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 50 | 32/7/11 | 64.0% |
| E14 | Queen's Indian Defense | 47 | 25/11/11 | 53.2% |
| A37 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 45 | 29/6/10 | 64.4% |
| A11 | English Opening: Slav Setup | 40 | 24/10/6 | 60.0% |
| E71 | King's Indian Defense | 40 | 22/8/10 | 55.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B01 | Scandinavian Defense: Main Line | 144 | 69/27/48 | 47.9% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 111 | 58/19/34 | 52.3% |
| B40 | Sicilian | 107 | 51/23/33 | 47.7% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 99 | 49/24/26 | 49.5% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 71 | 40/15/16 | 56.3% |
| D11 | Slav Defense | 55 | 18/25/12 | 32.7% |
| E08 | Catalan | 52 | 35/6/11 | 67.3% |
| B45 | Sicilian: Four Knights | 41 | 26/7/8 | 63.4% |
| E41 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 40 | 14/10/16 | 35.0% |
| A21 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 40 | 17/11/12 | 42.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2013 | Alexander Grischuk | 2,785 | 67th ch-Moscow blitz | B01 |
| Oct 2015 | Levon Aronian | 2,784 | Wch Rapid | A29 |
| Apr 2022 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,781 | Chess.com Rapid Wk8 Swiss | A21 |
| Apr 2023 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2,775 | Titled Tue Early | A17 |
| Dec 2018 | Viswanathan Anand | 2,773 | Wch Blitz | D38 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 764 | 516.5 | 2,543 |
| ch-EU blitz | 2017 | 86 | 63 | 2,621 |
| Chess24 Banter Blitz Cup | 2020 | 43 | 23 | 2,589 |
| ch-EU rapid | 2017 | 40 | 30 | 2,632 |
| ch-Dnipropetrovsk Region | 2008 | 34 | 25 | 2,443 |
| Baltic zt | 2016 | 31 | 24 | 2,685 |
| Wch Rapid | 2018 | 30 | 19.5 | 2,703 |
| PRO League Stage | 2018 | 28 | 11.5 | 2,413 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Arturs Neiksans (58 games) · Aleksandar Indjic (18 games) · Kaido Kulaots (17 games) · Daniel Fridman (17 games) · Nikita Meshkovs (16 games) · Maxim Matlakov (14 games) · Georg Meier (14 games) · Vladislav Kovalev (13 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 3,289 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Igor Kovalenko's chess games?
3,289 games by Igor Kovalenko, from Jul 2004 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 Igor Kovalenko has played.
What does Igor Kovalenko play on the first move as White?
Across 1,658 games with White in our database, Igor Kovalenko opens with 1.d4 (45% of games), 1.e4 (26% of games), 1.c4 (22% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Igor Kovalenko answers 1...c5 (37% of games), 1...d5 (22% of games), 1...c6 (15% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (75% of games), 1...d5 (12% of games), 1...e6 (6% of games).
What openings does Igor Kovalenko play as White?
As White, Igor Kovalenko's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (184 games, 59.2% win rate); Slav Defense (121 games, 60.3% win rate); English Opening: Reverse Sicilian (107 games, 52.3% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,658 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Igor Kovalenko play as Black?
As Black, Igor Kovalenko most often plays: Scandinavian Defense: Main Line (144 games, 47.9% win rate); Queen's Indian Defense (111 games, 52.3% win rate); Sicilian (107 games, 47.7% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,631 games.
What is Igor Kovalenko's FIDE rating?
Igor Kovalenko is currently rated 2,642 in classical chess, 2,589 in rapid and 2,610 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,702 (Aug 2015).
How many games has Igor Kovalenko played?
Our database contains 3,289 games by Igor Kovalenko, covering Jul 2004 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 1,821 wins, 693 draws, 775 losses (55.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against Igor Kovalenko?
3,289 games by Igor Kovalenko 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.