Prepare against Ivan Popov
GM · Russia · World #168 classical · FIDE ID 4170350
Our database contains 1,542 games by Ivan Popov, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Ivan Popov's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Ivan Popov 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 | 2,595 | 2,661 | Oct 2015 |
| Rapid | 2,577 | 2,705 | Aug 2016 |
| Blitz | 2,554 | 2,661 | Sep 2012 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,542 | 684 | 595 | 263 | 44.4% |
| As White | 785 | 425 | 256 | 104 | 54.1% |
| As Black | 757 | 259 | 339 | 159 | 34.2% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Ivan Popov's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Ivan Popov's side.
First moves as White (785 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 743 | 94.6% | 70.6% |
| d4 | 36 | 4.6% | 70.8% |
| Nf3 | 3 | 0.4% | 100.0% |
| c4 | 3 | 0.4% | 0.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 95% of White games, 70.6% score
- …c5 (43% of these games) — Popov usually continues Nf3 (71.8% score)
- …e5 (26% of these games) — Popov usually continues Nf3 (64.8% score)
- …e6 (13% of these games) — Popov usually continues d4 (79.8% score)
- 1.d4 — 5% of White games, 70.8% score
- …Nf6 (81% of these games) — Popov usually continues Bg5 (65.4% score)
- …d5 (19% of these games) — Popov usually continues c4 (62.5% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (309 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 140 | 45.3% | 57.5% |
| c6 | 105 | 34.0% | 56.7% |
| e5 | 36 | 11.7% | 54.2% |
| e6 | 18 | 5.8% | 55.6% |
| d6 | 4 | 1.3% | 37.5% |
| g6 | 3 | 1.0% | 83.3% |
As Black against 1.d4 (286 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 141 | 49.3% | 51.1% |
| Nf6 | 119 | 41.6% | 69.7% |
| e6 | 16 | 5.6% | 46.9% |
| g6 | 6 | 2.1% | 50.0% |
| c5 | 2 | 0.7% | 50.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
Ivan Popov's chess games
All 1,542 games by Ivan Popov in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - 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: 684 wins, 595 draws, 263 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B53 | Sicilian | 127 | 69/38/20 | 54.3% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 66 | 32/23/11 | 48.5% |
| C14 | French: Classical Variation | 30 | 17/11/2 | 56.7% |
| C01 | French: Winawer Variation | 29 | 21/6/2 | 72.4% |
| C55 | Italian Game | 28 | 13/8/7 | 46.4% |
| B31 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 27 | 18/7/2 | 66.7% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 25 | 15/9/1 | 60.0% |
| C45 | Scotch Game | 22 | 12/8/2 | 54.5% |
| B48 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 21 | 12/6/3 | 57.1% |
| B11 | Caro-Kann: Two Knights Variation | 18 | 7/8/3 | 38.9% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D15 | Slav Defense | 101 | 23/53/25 | 22.8% |
| B46 | Sicilian | 71 | 25/27/19 | 35.2% |
| A50 | Indian Defense | 41 | 21/14/6 | 51.2% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 36 | 15/18/3 | 41.7% |
| D20 | Queen's Gambit Accepted | 30 | 5/20/5 | 16.7% |
| B19 | Caro-Kann: Classical | 28 | 11/14/3 | 39.3% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 27 | 8/12/7 | 29.6% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 24 | 9/12/3 | 37.5% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 20 | 6/9/5 | 30.0% |
| D02 | Réti Opening | 19 | 7/9/3 | 36.8% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2013 | Alexander Grischuk | 2,785 | 67th ch-Moscow blitz | A26 |
| Apr 2012 | Alexander Morozevich | 2,765 | 19th chT-RUS | B92 |
| Jul 2016 | Chao b Li | 2,758 | chT-CHN B | E06 |
| Jan 2014 | Ian Nepomniachtchi | 2,732 | ch-Moscow Superfinal | B90 |
| Dec 2015 | David Navara | 2,730 | ch-EU rapid | B64 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-RUS U20 | 2010 | 53 | 27 | 2,544 |
| ch-RUS blitz | 2017 | 47 | 28 | 2,565 |
| Wch Rapid | 2019 | 44 | 21.5 | 2,578 |
| Wch Blitz | 2019 | 42 | 23.5 | 2,639 |
| chT-RUS blitz | 2017 | 39 | 27.5 | 2,587 |
| ch-RUS rapid | 2017 | 35 | 21 | 2,616 |
| chT-RUS rapid | 2019 | 34 | 24.5 | 2,641 |
| Moscow Open A | 2014 | 30 | 19 | 2,574 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Vadim Zvjaginsev (17 games) · Dmitry Andreikin (16 games) · Ian Nepomniachtchi (15 games) · Boris Savchenko (13 games) · Sanan Sjugirov (12 games) · Mikhail Mozharov (11 games) · Artyom Timofeev (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,542 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Ivan Popov's chess games?
1,542 games by Ivan Popov, from Apr 2003 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 Ivan Popov has played.
What does Ivan Popov play on the first move as White?
Across 785 games with White in our database, Ivan Popov opens with 1.e4 (95% of games), 1.d4 (5% of games), 1.Nf3 (0% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Ivan Popov answers 1...c5 (45% of games), 1...c6 (34% of games), 1...e5 (12% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (49% of games), 1...Nf6 (42% of games), 1...e6 (6% of games).
What openings does Ivan Popov play as White?
As White, Ivan Popov's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (127 games, 54.3% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (66 games, 48.5% win rate); French: Classical Variation (30 games, 56.7% win rate). The full breakdown of 785 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Ivan Popov play as Black?
As Black, Ivan Popov most often plays: Slav Defense (101 games, 22.8% win rate); Sicilian (71 games, 35.2% win rate); Indian Defense (41 games, 51.2% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 757 games.
What is Ivan Popov's FIDE rating?
Ivan Popov is currently rated 2,595 in classical chess, 2,577 in rapid and 2,554 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,661 (Oct 2015).
How many games has Ivan Popov played?
Our database contains 1,542 games by Ivan Popov, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 684 wins, 595 draws, 263 losses (44.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against Ivan Popov?
1,542 games by Ivan Popov 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.