Prepare against Ilia Smirin
GM · Israel · World #207 classical · FIDE ID 2801990
When preparing against Ilia Smirin, expect 1.e4 in 88% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (79% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (91%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Petrov's Defense as White, 24.5% over 49 games.
Our database contains 3,052 games by Ilia Smirin, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Ilia Smirin's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Ilia Smirin 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 | 2,578 | 2,687 | Aug 2016 |
| Rapid | 2,464 | 2,689 | Jul 2016 |
| Blitz | 2,511 | 2,743 | Dec 2015 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3,052 | 1,271 | 1,255 | 525 | 41.6% |
| As White | 1,539 | 709 | 628 | 202 | 46.1% |
| As Black | 1,513 | 562 | 627 | 323 | 37.1% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Ilia Smirin's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Ilia Smirin's side.
First moves as White (1,538 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 1,359 | 88.4% | 66.3% |
| c4 | 103 | 6.7% | 71.8% |
| d4 | 35 | 2.3% | 64.3% |
| Nf3 | 28 | 1.8% | 66.1% |
| b3 | 7 | 0.5% | 64.3% |
| g3 | 6 | 0.4% | 41.7% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 88% of White games, 66.3% score
- …c5 (42% of these games) — Smirin usually continues Nf3 (66.9% score)
- …e5 (30% of these games) — Smirin usually continues Nf3 (63.5% score)
- …e6 (11% of these games) — Smirin usually continues d4 (65.6% score)
- 1.c4 — 7% of White games, 71.8% score
- …e5 (27% of these games) — Smirin usually continues Nc3 (67.9% score)
- …Nf6 (25% of these games) — Smirin usually continues Nc3 (77.1% score)
- …e6 (21% of these games) — Smirin usually continues Nc3 (64.3% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (619 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 487 | 78.7% | 58.1% |
| e5 | 48 | 7.8% | 57.3% |
| d6 | 47 | 7.6% | 56.4% |
| g6 | 34 | 5.5% | 64.7% |
| e6 | 1 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (663 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 604 | 91.1% | 57.0% |
| d6 | 37 | 5.6% | 59.5% |
| c5 | 8 | 1.2% | 81.3% |
| g6 | 7 | 1.1% | 42.9% |
| f5 | 4 | 0.6% | 37.5% |
| d5 | 2 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
Ilia Smirin's chess games
All 3,052 games by Ilia Smirin 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: 1,271 wins, 1,255 draws, 525 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B43 | Sicilian | 177 | 86/68/23 | 48.6% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 162 | 74/65/23 | 45.7% |
| C90 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 132 | 54/59/19 | 40.9% |
| B31 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 100 | 46/37/17 | 46.0% |
| C07 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 81 | 45/30/6 | 55.6% |
| C65 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 66 | 25/37/4 | 37.9% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 52 | 24/20/8 | 46.2% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 49 | 12/31/6 | 24.5% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 46 | 19/22/5 | 41.3% |
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 33 | 14/10/9 | 42.4% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B42 | Sicilian | 328 | 140/105/83 | 42.7% |
| E97 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 194 | 57/96/41 | 29.4% |
| E62 | Indian Defense | 96 | 25/50/21 | 26.0% |
| E71 | King's Indian Defense | 92 | 30/36/26 | 32.6% |
| E62 | English Opening | 63 | 20/30/13 | 31.7% |
| E81 | King's Indian: Sämisch | 60 | 27/22/11 | 45.0% |
| B08 | Modern Defense | 56 | 24/23/9 | 42.9% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 52 | 18/24/10 | 34.6% |
| E90 | Benoni Defense | 49 | 24/18/7 | 49.0% |
| E73 | King's Indian Defense: Averbakh System | 34 | 17/13/4 | 50.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2002 | Vladimir Kramnik | 2,807 | RUS-The World | E97 |
| Dec 2018 | Viswanathan Anand | 2,773 | Wch Blitz | B93 |
| Oct 2012 | Alexander Morozevich | 2,758 | 28th EU-Cup | C78 |
| Dec 2019 | Sergey Karjakin | 2,754 | Wch Rapid | B41 |
| Jun 2013 | Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | 2,753 | 7th Wch Blitz | E62 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| chT-ISR | 2024 | 126 | 91.5 | 2,642 |
| Wch Rapid | 2021 | 58 | 31 | 2,601 |
| ch-ISR | 2018 | 47 | 32.5 | 2,635 |
| Wch Blitz | 2019 | 42 | 21 | 2,594 |
| Moscow Aeroflot Open A | 2020 | 38 | 22 | 2,625 |
| FIDE World Cup | 2023 | 37 | 18 | 2,606 |
| chT-CRO | 2005 | 37 | 24 | 2,680 |
| 7th Wch Blitz | 2013 | 30 | 17 | 2,723 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Jaan Ehlvest (23 games) · Alon Greenfeld (20 games) · Aleksey Dreev (19 games) · Boris Gelfand (18 games) · Alexander Grischuk (18 games) · Victor Mikhalevski (15 games) · Emil Sutovsky (13 games) · Evgeny Postny (13 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 3,052 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Ilia Smirin's chess games?
3,052 games by Ilia Smirin, 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 Ilia Smirin has played.
What does Ilia Smirin play on the first move as White?
Across 1,538 games with White in our database, Ilia Smirin opens with 1.e4 (88% of games), 1.c4 (7% of games), 1.d4 (2% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Ilia Smirin answers 1...c5 (79% of games), 1...e5 (8% of games), 1...d6 (8% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (91% of games), 1...d6 (6% of games), 1...c5 (1% of games).
What openings does Ilia Smirin play as White?
As White, Ilia Smirin's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (177 games, 48.6% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (162 games, 45.7% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (132 games, 40.9% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,539 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Ilia Smirin play as Black?
As Black, Ilia Smirin most often plays: Sicilian (328 games, 42.7% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (194 games, 29.4% win rate); Indian Defense (96 games, 26.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,513 games.
What is Ilia Smirin's FIDE rating?
Ilia Smirin is currently rated 2,578 in classical chess, 2,464 in rapid and 2,511 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,687 (Aug 2016).
How many games has Ilia Smirin played?
Our database contains 3,052 games by Ilia Smirin, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 1,271 wins, 1,255 draws, 525 losses (41.6% win rate).
How do I prepare against Ilia Smirin?
3,052 games by Ilia Smirin 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.