Prepare against Kari Pulkkinen
FM · Finland · World #11,825 classical · FIDE ID 500712
Our database contains 816 games by Kari Pulkkinen, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Kari Pulkkinen's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Kari Pulkkinen 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 | 2,143 | 2,342 | Apr 2004 |
| Blitz | 2,222 | 2,255 | Nov 2021 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 816 | 295 | 300 | 221 | 36.2% |
| As White | 411 | 176 | 134 | 101 | 42.8% |
| As Black | 405 | 119 | 166 | 120 | 29.4% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Kari Pulkkinen's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Kari Pulkkinen's side.
First moves as White (411 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 395 | 96.1% | 58.7% |
| g3 | 8 | 1.9% | 75.0% |
| d4 | 5 | 1.2% | 60.0% |
| Nf3 | 3 | 0.7% | 66.7% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 96% of White games, 58.7% score
- …c5 (44% of these games) — Pulkkinen usually continues Nf3 (60.6% score)
- …e5 (19% of these games) — Pulkkinen usually continues Nf3 (52.8% score)
- …e6 (13% of these games) — Pulkkinen usually continues d4 (59.0% score)
- 1.g3 — 2% of White games, 75.0% score
- …g6 (38% of these games) — Pulkkinen usually continues Bg2 (66.7% score)
- …d5 (38% of these games) — Pulkkinen usually continues Bg2 (83.3% score)
- …e5 (13% of these games) — Pulkkinen usually continues c4 (100.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (190 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 180 | 94.7% | 51.9% |
| e5 | 10 | 5.3% | 40.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (134 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 99 | 73.9% | 46.5% |
| d5 | 31 | 23.1% | 41.9% |
| g6 | 2 | 1.5% | 75.0% |
| e6 | 1 | 0.7% | 100.0% |
| f5 | 1 | 0.7% | 0.0% |
Kari Pulkkinen's chess games
All 816 games by Kari Pulkkinen 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: 295 wins, 300 draws, 221 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B42 | Sicilian | 51 | 18/18/15 | 35.3% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 45 | 23/8/14 | 51.1% |
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 31 | 11/13/7 | 35.5% |
| B14 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 24 | 10/12/2 | 41.7% |
| B76 | Sicilian: Dragon | 22 | 8/7/7 | 36.4% |
| B30 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 21 | 12/6/3 | 57.1% |
| C91 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 19 | 6/5/8 | 31.6% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 19 | 7/7/5 | 36.8% |
| C24 | Bishop's Opening | 13 | 6/1/6 | 46.2% |
| C84 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 12 | 2/6/4 | 16.7% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B67 | Sicilian | 96 | 29/41/26 | 30.2% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 25 | 15/6/4 | 60.0% |
| A22 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 24 | 12/8/4 | 50.0% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 21 | 9/6/6 | 42.9% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 16 | 4/9/3 | 25.0% |
| A47 | Indian Defense | 15 | 4/6/5 | 26.7% |
| D46 | Slav Defense | 13 | 1/8/4 | 7.7% |
| A30 | Réti Opening | 13 | 2/5/6 | 15.4% |
| A36 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 12 | 4/5/3 | 33.3% |
| B34 | Sicilian: Hyperaccelerated Dragon | 12 | 3/5/4 | 25.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1996 | Olav Sepp | 2,440 | chT-FIN 9596 | C62 |
| Jan 1992 | Alexander Berezovics | 2,440 | Mlada Boleslav Open | E05 |
| Jan 1989 | Sandor Videki | 2,415 | Espoo Open | B70 |
| Jan 1993 | Joose Norri | 2,400 | Helsinki We HSK | E41 |
| Jan 1993 | Emilis P Slekys | 2,395 | Espoo Open | B90 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| chT-FIN | 1995 | 77 | 39 | 2,327 |
| ch-FIN | 1997 | 56 | 30.5 | 2,368 |
| ch-Helsinki | 1999 | 27 | 14 | 2,308 |
| Espoo Open | 1993 | 25 | 13 | 2,373 |
| ch-Helsinki Club | 1992 | 19 | 10 | 2,331 |
| Bodensee Open | 2022 | 16 | 9 | 2,155 |
| World U20-ch23 | 1984 | 13 | 6.5 | 2,353 |
| chT-FIN 2324 | 2024 | 11 | 6 | 2,193 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Marko Manninen (15 games) · Kalle Kiik (11 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 816 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Kari Pulkkinen's chess games?
816 games by Kari Pulkkinen, 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 Kari Pulkkinen has played.
What does Kari Pulkkinen play on the first move as White?
Across 411 games with White in our database, Kari Pulkkinen opens with 1.e4 (96% of games), 1.g3 (2% of games), 1.d4 (1% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Kari Pulkkinen answers 1...c5 (95% of games), 1...e5 (5% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (74% of games), 1...d5 (23% of games), 1...g6 (1% of games).
What openings does Kari Pulkkinen play as White?
As White, Kari Pulkkinen's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (51 games, 35.3% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (45 games, 51.1% win rate); French: Winawer Variation (31 games, 35.5% win rate). The full breakdown of 411 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Kari Pulkkinen play as Black?
As Black, Kari Pulkkinen most often plays: Sicilian (96 games, 30.2% win rate); Sicilian: Closed (25 games, 60.0% win rate); English Opening: Reverse Sicilian (24 games, 50.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 405 games.
What is Kari Pulkkinen's FIDE rating?
Kari Pulkkinen is currently rated 2,143 in classical chess and 2,222 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,342 (Apr 2004).
How many games has Kari Pulkkinen played?
Our database contains 816 games by Kari Pulkkinen, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 295 wins, 300 draws, 221 losses (36.2% win rate).
How do I prepare against Kari Pulkkinen?
816 games by Kari Pulkkinen 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.