Prepare against Illya Nyzhnyk
GM · Ukraine · World #423 classical · FIDE ID 14118084
When preparing against Illya Nyzhnyk, expect 1.d4 in 60% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (52% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (50%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Petrov's Defense as Black, 12.1% over 33 games.
Our database contains 1,838 games by Illya Nyzhnyk, covering Oct 2004 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Illya Nyzhnyk's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Illya Nyzhnyk 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 | 2,527 | 2,692 | Jun 2022 |
| Rapid | 2,633 | 2,658 | Dec 2024 |
| Blitz | 2,572 | 2,698 | Jun 2019 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,838 | 870 | 681 | 287 | 47.3% |
| As White | 932 | 491 | 319 | 122 | 52.7% |
| As Black | 906 | 379 | 362 | 165 | 41.8% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Illya Nyzhnyk's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Illya Nyzhnyk's side.
First moves as White (932 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 559 | 60.0% | 68.3% |
| e4 | 198 | 21.2% | 74.0% |
| c4 | 104 | 11.2% | 71.2% |
| Nf3 | 63 | 6.8% | 67.5% |
| b3 | 4 | 0.4% | 75.0% |
| g3 | 3 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 60% of White games, 68.3% score
- …Nf6 (63% of these games) — Nyzhnyk usually continues c4 (67.0% score)
- …d5 (27% of these games) — Nyzhnyk usually continues c4 (70.4% score)
- …e6 (3% of these games) — Nyzhnyk usually continues c4 (77.8% score)
- 1.e4 — 21% of White games, 74.0% score
- …c5 (44% of these games) — Nyzhnyk usually continues Nf3 (74.1% score)
- …e5 (29% of these games) — Nyzhnyk usually continues Nf3 (76.6% score)
- …e6 (9% of these games) — Nyzhnyk usually continues d4 (73.5% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (440 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 229 | 52.0% | 66.4% |
| e6 | 82 | 18.6% | 58.5% |
| c6 | 63 | 14.3% | 79.4% |
| e5 | 60 | 13.6% | 40.8% |
| d5 | 4 | 0.9% | 62.5% |
| g6 | 1 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (309 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 156 | 50.5% | 63.8% |
| d5 | 151 | 48.9% | 54.6% |
| d6 | 2 | 0.6% | 50.0% |
Illya Nyzhnyk's chess games
All 1,838 games by Illya Nyzhnyk in the Chess.ceo database (Oct 2004 - 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: 870 wins, 681 draws, 287 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 136 | 75/45/16 | 55.1% |
| D23 | Slav Defense | 68 | 35/30/3 | 51.5% |
| B55 | Sicilian | 55 | 36/14/5 | 65.5% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 40 | 19/17/4 | 47.5% |
| A13 | English Opening | 39 | 23/11/5 | 59.0% |
| A28 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 35 | 17/9/9 | 48.6% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 34 | 17/9/8 | 50.0% |
| E11 | Catalan | 27 | 10/14/3 | 37.0% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 25 | 13/7/5 | 52.0% |
| E11 | Bogo-Indian Defense | 25 | 15/8/2 | 60.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 84 | 46/23/15 | 54.8% |
| D27 | Queen's Gambit Accepted | 57 | 20/21/16 | 35.1% |
| D12 | Slav Defense | 56 | 17/28/11 | 30.4% |
| B33 | Sicilian | 53 | 30/8/15 | 56.6% |
| E97 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 43 | 20/14/9 | 46.5% |
| A13 | English Opening | 41 | 18/14/9 | 43.9% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 34 | 14/14/6 | 41.2% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 33 | 4/24/5 | 12.1% |
| E62 | Indian Defense | 33 | 11/19/3 | 33.3% |
| C07 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 29 | 7/18/4 | 24.1% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2019 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,828 | PRO League KO Stage | C11 |
| Mar 2020 | Alexander Grischuk | 2,777 | PRO League KO Stage | D38 |
| Jan 2020 | Wesley So | 2,765 | PRO League Stage | E51 |
| May 2020 | Anish Giri | 2,764 | 11th PNWCC Online blitz JP | A07 |
| Jan 2020 | Leinier Dominguez Perez | 2,758 | PRO League Stage | C42 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2023 | 81 | 55 | 2,581 |
| Las Vegas National Open | 2024 | 68 | 53 | 2,641 |
| PRO League Stage | 2020 | 50 | 33.5 | 2,678 |
| chT-TUR | 2013 | 38 | 23.5 | 2,583 |
| ch-EU rapid | 2012 | 30 | 20.5 | 2,496 |
| Chess24 Banter Blitz Cup | 2020 | 30 | 13.5 | 2,501 |
| chT-Pan American Intercollegiate | 2019 | 28 | 22 | 2,644 |
| Saint Louis Spring A | 2023 | 27 | 16 | 2,712 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Olexandr Bortnyk (23 games) · Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli (15 games) · Samuel Sevian (14 games) · Dariusz Swiercz (13 games) · Aleksandr Shimanov (13 games) · Andrey Baryshpolets (13 games) · Nikolas Theodorou (11 games) · Elshan Moradiabadi (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,838 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Illya Nyzhnyk's chess games?
1,838 games by Illya Nyzhnyk, from Oct 2004 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 Illya Nyzhnyk has played.
What does Illya Nyzhnyk play on the first move as White?
Across 932 games with White in our database, Illya Nyzhnyk opens with 1.d4 (60% of games), 1.e4 (21% of games), 1.c4 (11% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Illya Nyzhnyk answers 1...c5 (52% of games), 1...e6 (19% of games), 1...c6 (14% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (50% of games), 1...d5 (49% of games), 1...d6 (1% of games).
What openings does Illya Nyzhnyk play as White?
As White, Illya Nyzhnyk's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (136 games, 55.1% win rate); Slav Defense (68 games, 51.5% win rate); Sicilian (55 games, 65.5% win rate). The full breakdown of 932 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Illya Nyzhnyk play as Black?
As Black, Illya Nyzhnyk most often plays: Sicilian: Najdorf (84 games, 54.8% win rate); Queen's Gambit Accepted (57 games, 35.1% win rate); Slav Defense (56 games, 30.4% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 906 games.
What is Illya Nyzhnyk's FIDE rating?
Illya Nyzhnyk is currently rated 2,527 in classical chess, 2,633 in rapid and 2,572 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,692 (Jun 2022).
How many games has Illya Nyzhnyk played?
Our database contains 1,838 games by Illya Nyzhnyk, covering Oct 2004 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 870 wins, 681 draws, 287 losses (47.3% win rate).
How do I prepare against Illya Nyzhnyk?
1,838 games by Illya Nyzhnyk 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.