Prepare against Kostya Kavutskiy
IM · United States · World #3,757 classical · FIDE ID 2026384
Our database contains 1,762 games by Kostya Kavutskiy, covering Jul 2009 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Kostya Kavutskiy's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Kostya Kavutskiy 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 | 2,310 | 2,430 | Aug 2018 |
| Rapid | 2,415 | 2,417 | May 2019 |
| Blitz | 2,226 | 2,386 | Jan 2023 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,762 | 712 | 352 | 698 | 40.4% |
| As White | 894 | 398 | 178 | 318 | 44.5% |
| As Black | 868 | 314 | 174 | 380 | 36.2% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Kostya Kavutskiy's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Kostya Kavutskiy's side.
First moves as White (894 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 633 | 70.8% | 52.4% |
| Nf3 | 156 | 17.4% | 62.5% |
| e4 | 90 | 10.1% | 55.6% |
| c4 | 14 | 1.6% | 57.1% |
| d3 | 1 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 71% of White games, 52.4% score
- …Nf6 (60% of these games) — Kavutskiy usually continues c4 (49.4% score)
- …d5 (23% of these games) — Kavutskiy usually continues c4 (54.2% score)
- …e6 (5% of these games) — Kavutskiy usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 17% of White games, 62.5% score
- …d5 (47% of these games) — Kavutskiy usually continues e3 (65.5% score)
- …Nf6 (37% of these games) — Kavutskiy usually continues c4 (56.4% score)
- …c5 (5% of these games) — Kavutskiy usually continues e4 (25.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (387 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 240 | 62.0% | 50.8% |
| Nc6 | 65 | 16.8% | 45.4% |
| e5 | 38 | 9.8% | 50.0% |
| e6 | 36 | 9.3% | 38.9% |
| d6 | 7 | 1.8% | 35.7% |
| c6 | 1 | 0.3% | 0.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (310 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 295 | 95.2% | 43.9% |
| d5 | 7 | 2.3% | 42.9% |
| d6 | 6 | 1.9% | 75.0% |
| e6 | 2 | 0.6% | 75.0% |
Kostya Kavutskiy's chess games
All 1,762 games by Kostya Kavutskiy in the Chess.ceo database (Jul 2009 - 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: 712 wins, 352 draws, 698 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 96 | 44/20/32 | 45.8% |
| A45 | Trompowsky Attack | 87 | 47/12/28 | 54.0% |
| D12 | Slav Defense | 71 | 29/16/26 | 40.8% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 69 | 44/9/16 | 63.8% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 52 | 26/12/14 | 50.0% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 37 | 11/10/16 | 29.7% |
| E71 | King's Indian Defense | 32 | 14/6/12 | 43.8% |
| A13 | English Opening | 27 | 17/7/3 | 63.0% |
| A40 | Modern Defense | 25 | 8/3/14 | 32.0% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 23 | 10/7/6 | 43.5% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 91 | 29/20/42 | 31.9% |
| B30 | Sicilian | 75 | 30/15/30 | 40.0% |
| B00 | Nimzowitsch Defense | 65 | 24/11/30 | 36.9% |
| E62 | King's Indian Defense | 42 | 11/12/19 | 26.2% |
| B33 | Sicilian: Sveshnikov | 41 | 22/5/14 | 53.7% |
| E62 | Indian Defense | 39 | 8/7/24 | 20.5% |
| E73 | King's Indian Defense: Averbakh System | 36 | 10/6/20 | 27.8% |
| B31 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 35 | 10/5/20 | 28.6% |
| B48 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 29 | 12/4/13 | 41.4% |
| A37 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 23 | 10/7/6 | 43.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2024 | Abhimanyu Puranik | 2,632 | Titled Tue Early | A36 |
| Aug 2020 | Boris Grachev | 2,612 | Titled Tue | D37 |
| Oct 2024 | Samvel Ter-Sahakyan | 2,609 | Titled Tue Early | D37 |
| Oct 2013 | Alexander Rakhmanov | 2,603 | 7th Saint Louis SPICE Cup Open | C01 |
| Nov 2022 | Martyn Kravtsiv | 2,598 | Titled Tue Late | B33 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 725 | 367 | 2,298 |
| Las Vegas National Open | 2024 | 52 | 26.5 | 2,288 |
| Reykjavik Open | 2025 | 36 | 23 | 2,405 |
| Saint Louis IM | 2016 | 27 | 16.5 | 2,400 |
| IM Not A GM Speed Chess | 2020 | 22 | 6.5 | 2,235 |
| USA tt | 2014 | 22 | 8.5 | 2,193 |
| I'M Not A GM Speed Chess | 2022 | 21 | 8 | 2,129 |
| US Masters Open | 2023 | 18 | 11.5 | 2,398 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: James Canty (21 games) · Zhanibek Amanov (10 games) · Faustino Oro (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,762 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Kostya Kavutskiy's chess games?
1,762 games by Kostya Kavutskiy, from Jul 2009 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 Kostya Kavutskiy has played.
What does Kostya Kavutskiy play on the first move as White?
Across 894 games with White in our database, Kostya Kavutskiy opens with 1.d4 (71% of games), 1.Nf3 (17% of games), 1.e4 (10% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Kostya Kavutskiy answers 1...c5 (62% of games), 1...Nc6 (17% of games), 1...e5 (10% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (95% of games), 1...d5 (2% of games), 1...d6 (2% of games).
What openings does Kostya Kavutskiy play as White?
As White, Kostya Kavutskiy's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (96 games, 45.8% win rate); Trompowsky Attack (87 games, 54.0% win rate); Slav Defense (71 games, 40.8% win rate). The full breakdown of 894 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Kostya Kavutskiy play as Black?
As Black, Kostya Kavutskiy most often plays: King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (91 games, 31.9% win rate); Sicilian (75 games, 40.0% win rate); Nimzowitsch Defense (65 games, 36.9% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 868 games.
What is Kostya Kavutskiy's FIDE rating?
Kostya Kavutskiy is currently rated 2,310 in classical chess, 2,415 in rapid and 2,226 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,430 (Aug 2018).
How many games has Kostya Kavutskiy played?
Our database contains 1,762 games by Kostya Kavutskiy, covering Jul 2009 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 712 wins, 352 draws, 698 losses (40.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against Kostya Kavutskiy?
1,762 games by Kostya Kavutskiy 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.