Prepare against Irina Krush
GM · United States · World #1,715 classical · FIDE ID 2012782
When preparing against Irina Krush, expect 1.d4 in 77% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (89% of games); against 1.d4, 1...d5 (49%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Slav Defense as Black, 25.5% over 47 games.
Our database contains 2,539 games by Irina Krush, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Irina Krush's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Irina Krush 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 | 2,398 | 2,502 | Nov 2013 |
| Rapid | 2,343 | 2,490 | Sep 2014 |
| Blitz | 2,210 | 2,494 | Oct 2017 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,539 | 1,020 | 733 | 786 | 40.2% |
| As White | 1,272 | 576 | 350 | 346 | 45.3% |
| As Black | 1,267 | 444 | 383 | 440 | 35.0% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Irina Krush's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Irina Krush's side.
First moves as White (1,272 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 983 | 77.3% | 58.2% |
| c4 | 167 | 13.1% | 61.4% |
| Nf3 | 83 | 6.5% | 65.7% |
| e4 | 35 | 2.8% | 57.1% |
| g3 | 4 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 77% of White games, 58.2% score
- …Nf6 (54% of these games) — Krush usually continues c4 (59.4% score)
- …d5 (29% of these games) — Krush usually continues c4 (57.3% score)
- …e6 (6% of these games) — Krush usually continues c4 (55.6% score)
- 1.c4 — 13% of White games, 61.4% score
- …e5 (26% of these games) — Krush usually continues Nc3 (51.8% score)
- …e6 (25% of these games) — Krush usually continues Nc3 (60.0% score)
- …Nf6 (18% of these games) — Krush usually continues Nc3 (73.9% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (567 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 507 | 89.4% | 50.6% |
| e6 | 23 | 4.1% | 34.8% |
| c6 | 15 | 2.6% | 36.7% |
| e5 | 9 | 1.6% | 66.7% |
| g6 | 7 | 1.2% | 57.1% |
| d6 | 6 | 1.1% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (478 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 233 | 48.7% | 47.0% |
| Nf6 | 190 | 39.7% | 52.1% |
| g6 | 17 | 3.6% | 64.7% |
| d6 | 11 | 2.3% | 81.8% |
| c6 | 9 | 1.9% | 38.9% |
| e6 | 8 | 1.7% | 18.8% |
Irina Krush's chess games
All 2,539 games by Irina Krush in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Aug 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: 1,020 wins, 733 draws, 786 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D10 | Slav Defense | 150 | 53/44/53 | 35.3% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 128 | 57/36/35 | 44.5% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 116 | 49/33/34 | 42.2% |
| E48 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 81 | 34/25/22 | 42.0% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 70 | 39/13/18 | 55.7% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 64 | 28/19/17 | 43.8% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 60 | 29/21/10 | 48.3% |
| A25 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 48 | 17/15/16 | 35.4% |
| A15 | English Opening | 44 | 29/8/7 | 65.9% |
| D31 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 40 | 19/11/10 | 47.5% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B50 | Sicilian | 299 | 123/73/103 | 41.1% |
| D27 | Queen's Gambit Accepted | 101 | 26/34/41 | 25.7% |
| D27 | Queen's Pawn Game | 70 | 26/20/24 | 37.1% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 47 | 15/16/16 | 31.9% |
| D45 | Slav Defense | 47 | 12/21/14 | 25.5% |
| A09 | Réti Opening | 41 | 20/9/12 | 48.8% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 39 | 11/12/16 | 28.2% |
| B48 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 38 | 12/11/15 | 31.6% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 38 | 13/14/11 | 34.2% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 37 | 14/13/10 | 37.8% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2020 | Vladimir Kramnik | 2,753 | Legends & Students Blitz | D35 |
| Jan 2007 | Vladimir Akopian | 2,700 | Gibraltar Masters | E45 |
| Jan 2011 | Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu | 2,678 | 9th Gibraltar Masters | E32 |
| Jul 2020 | Boris Gelfand | 2,676 | Gelfand Camp Blitz | E35 |
| Nov 2014 | Sergey A. Fedorchuk | 2,664 | Qatar Masters Open | B83 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-USA w | 2023 | 174 | 120.5 | 2,421 |
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 78 | 39.5 | 2,240 |
| Wch Blitz Final w | 2014 | 69 | 31.5 | 2,387 |
| Wch Rapid w | 2023 | 64 | 35 | 2,391 |
| Wch Blitz w | 2023 | 55 | 29.5 | 2,367 |
| ch-USA | 2010 | 45 | 20.5 | 2,457 |
| American Cup Champ w | 2026 | 44 | 26.5 | 2,416 |
| World-ch w k.o. | 2018 | 42 | 22.5 | 2,469 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Nana Dzagnidze (40 games) · Anna Zatonskih (39 games) · Valentina Gunina (35 games) · Alice Lee (32 games) · Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (30 games) · Harika Dronavalli (28 games) · Alexandra Kosteniuk (28 games) · Tatev Abrahamyan (28 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,539 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Irina Krush's chess games?
2,539 games by Irina Krush, from Apr 2003 to Aug 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 Irina Krush has played.
What does Irina Krush play on the first move as White?
Across 1,272 games with White in our database, Irina Krush opens with 1.d4 (77% of games), 1.c4 (13% of games), 1.Nf3 (7% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Irina Krush answers 1...c5 (89% of games), 1...e6 (4% of games), 1...c6 (3% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (49% of games), 1...Nf6 (40% of games), 1...g6 (4% of games).
What openings does Irina Krush play as White?
As White, Irina Krush's most-played openings in our database are: Slav Defense (150 games, 35.3% win rate); Indian Defense (128 games, 44.5% win rate); Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation (116 games, 42.2% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,272 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Irina Krush play as Black?
As Black, Irina Krush most often plays: Sicilian (299 games, 41.1% win rate); Queen's Gambit Accepted (101 games, 25.7% win rate); Queen's Pawn Game (70 games, 37.1% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,267 games.
What is Irina Krush's FIDE rating?
Irina Krush is currently rated 2,398 in classical chess, 2,343 in rapid and 2,210 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,502 (Nov 2013).
How many games has Irina Krush played?
Our database contains 2,539 games by Irina Krush, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 1,020 wins, 733 draws, 786 losses (40.2% win rate).
How do I prepare against Irina Krush?
2,539 games by Irina Krush 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.