Prepare against John Arni Nilssen
IM · FRO · World #3,512 classical · FIDE ID 7200137
When preparing against John Arni Nilssen, expect 1.d4 in 83% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (91% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (55%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Queen's Indian Defense as Black, 23.8% over 21 games.
Our database contains 792 games by John Arni Nilssen, covering Apr 2003 to Nov 2026. Below you'll find John Arni Nilssen's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout John Arni Nilssen 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 | 2,319 | 2,426 | Apr 2004 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 792 | 325 | 249 | 218 | 41.0% |
| As White | 398 | 188 | 119 | 91 | 47.2% |
| As Black | 394 | 137 | 130 | 127 | 34.8% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of John Arni Nilssen's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from John Arni Nilssen's side.
First moves as White (398 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 330 | 82.9% | 62.3% |
| c4 | 38 | 9.5% | 67.1% |
| Nf3 | 23 | 5.8% | 56.5% |
| e4 | 5 | 1.3% | 70.0% |
| g3 | 2 | 0.5% | 0.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 83% of White games, 62.3% score
- …Nf6 (53% of these games) — Nilssen usually continues c4 (64.9% score)
- …d5 (30% of these games) — Nilssen usually continues c4 (62.6% score)
- …e6 (5% of these games) — Nilssen usually continues c4 (63.3% score)
- 1.c4 — 10% of White games, 67.1% score
- …e5 (24% of these games) — Nilssen usually continues g3 (83.3% score)
- …c5 (21% of these games) — Nilssen usually continues g3 (91.7% score)
- …Nf6 (18% of these games) — Nilssen usually continues d4 (87.5% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (184 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 168 | 91.3% | 53.6% |
| g6 | 7 | 3.8% | 64.3% |
| e6 | 7 | 3.8% | 50.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.5% | 50.0% |
| e5 | 1 | 0.5% | 0.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (136 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 75 | 55.1% | 47.3% |
| d5 | 26 | 19.1% | 51.9% |
| g6 | 16 | 11.8% | 62.5% |
| f5 | 14 | 10.3% | 28.6% |
| e6 | 4 | 2.9% | 25.0% |
John Arni Nilssen's chess games
All 792 games by John Arni Nilssen in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Nov 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: 325 wins, 249 draws, 218 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D47 | Slav Defense | 52 | 22/17/13 | 42.3% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 37 | 21/9/7 | 56.8% |
| E05 | Catalan | 30 | 16/8/6 | 53.3% |
| E20 | Nimzo-Indian Defense | 27 | 10/11/6 | 37.0% |
| D36 | Indian Defense | 24 | 10/8/6 | 41.7% |
| E73 | King's Indian Defense: Averbakh System | 20 | 14/1/5 | 70.0% |
| A42 | Modern Defense | 15 | 9/5/1 | 60.0% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 14 | 6/4/4 | 42.9% |
| D90 | Grünfeld Defense | 13 | 6/4/3 | 46.2% |
| A30 | English Opening | 13 | 3/6/4 | 23.1% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B32 | Sicilian | 93 | 34/29/30 | 36.6% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 31 | 13/11/7 | 41.9% |
| B31 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 28 | 10/10/8 | 35.7% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 22 | 11/3/8 | 50.0% |
| A30 | English Opening | 21 | 8/7/6 | 38.1% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 21 | 5/6/10 | 23.8% |
| A87 | Dutch Defense | 14 | 2/4/8 | 14.3% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 13 | 4/4/5 | 30.8% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 13 | 7/3/3 | 53.8% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 12 | 4/4/4 | 33.3% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2006 | Farrukh Amonatov | 2,569 | Olympiad-37 | D15 |
| Apr 2004 | Davor Palo | 2,505 | ch-DEN | E04 |
| Dec 2022 | Vladimir Hamitevici | 2,502 | Copenhagen Obro New Year Open | A21 |
| Jul 2002 | Carlos S. Matamoros Franco | 2,473 | 24th Politiken Cup | A57 |
| Oct 2013 | Ralf Akesson | 2,465 | Koge Xtracon Open | D95 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copenhagen Obro New Year Open | 2022 | 32 | 22.5 | 2,309 |
| Copenhagen Challenge | 2016 | 18 | 10.5 | 2,298 |
| Copenhagen Open 2 | 1995 | 15 | 8 | 2,332 |
| Budapest FS08 IM | 2003 | 13 | 10 | 2,505 |
| ch-Nordic VISA | 1997 | 13 | 2.5 | 2,263 |
| Olympiad-34 | 2000 | 12 | 6 | 2,440 |
| Olympiad-31 | 1994 | 12 | 6.5 | 2,333 |
| Olympiad-33 | 1998 | 12 | 6.5 | 2,391 |
Interactive opening tree from all 792 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find John Arni Nilssen's chess games?
792 games by John Arni Nilssen, from Apr 2003 to Nov 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 John Arni Nilssen has played.
What does John Arni Nilssen play on the first move as White?
Across 398 games with White in our database, John Arni Nilssen opens with 1.d4 (83% of games), 1.c4 (10% of games), 1.Nf3 (6% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, John Arni Nilssen answers 1...c5 (91% of games), 1...g6 (4% of games), 1...e6 (4% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (55% of games), 1...d5 (19% of games), 1...g6 (12% of games).
What openings does John Arni Nilssen play as White?
As White, John Arni Nilssen's most-played openings in our database are: Slav Defense (52 games, 42.3% win rate); Benoni Defense (37 games, 56.8% win rate); Catalan (30 games, 53.3% win rate). The full breakdown of 398 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does John Arni Nilssen play as Black?
As Black, John Arni Nilssen most often plays: Sicilian (93 games, 36.6% win rate); Modern Defense (31 games, 41.9% win rate); Sicilian: Rossolimo (28 games, 35.7% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 394 games.
What is John Arni Nilssen's FIDE rating?
John Arni Nilssen is currently rated 2,319 in classical chess. Peak classical rating: 2,426 (Apr 2004).
How many games has John Arni Nilssen played?
Our database contains 792 games by John Arni Nilssen, covering Apr 2003 to Nov 2026. Overall record: 325 wins, 249 draws, 218 losses (41.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against John Arni Nilssen?
792 games by John Arni Nilssen 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.