Prepare against Manuel Apicella
GM · France · World #1,038 classical · FIDE ID 600164
When preparing against Manuel Apicella, expect 1.e4 in 91% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e6 (76% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (68%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: French: Exchange Variation as Black, 21.1% over 19 games.
Our database contains 1,648 games by Manuel Apicella, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Manuel Apicella's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Manuel Apicella 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 | 2,448 | 2,555 | Apr 2007 |
| Rapid | 2,509 | 2,528 | Apr 2018 |
| Blitz | 2,446 | 2,513 | May 2019 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,648 | 662 | 655 | 331 | 40.2% |
| As White | 827 | 391 | 313 | 123 | 47.3% |
| As Black | 821 | 271 | 342 | 208 | 33.0% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Manuel Apicella's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Manuel Apicella's side.
First moves as White (827 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 751 | 90.8% | 67.2% |
| d4 | 40 | 4.8% | 53.8% |
| c4 | 35 | 4.2% | 58.6% |
| Nf3 | 1 | 0.1% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 91% of White games, 67.2% score
- …c5 (46% of these games) — Apicella usually continues Nf3 (66.9% score)
- …e5 (19% of these games) — Apicella usually continues Nf3 (65.3% score)
- …e6 (13% of these games) — Apicella usually continues d4 (69.8% score)
- 1.d4 — 5% of White games, 53.8% score
- …Nf6 (63% of these games) — Apicella usually continues Nf3 (50.0% score)
- …d5 (20% of these games) — Apicella usually continues Nf3 (64.3% score)
- …e6 (8% of these games) — Apicella usually continues Nf3 (75.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (377 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 286 | 75.9% | 54.7% |
| c5 | 88 | 23.3% | 59.7% |
As Black against 1.d4 (306 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 209 | 68.3% | 51.7% |
| d5 | 56 | 18.3% | 54.5% |
| e6 | 39 | 12.7% | 50.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
Manuel Apicella's chess games
All 1,648 games by Manuel Apicella 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: 662 wins, 655 draws, 331 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B58 | Sicilian | 160 | 71/59/30 | 44.4% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 63 | 26/26/11 | 41.3% |
| C92 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 52 | 21/25/6 | 40.4% |
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 51 | 30/13/8 | 58.8% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 31 | 16/12/3 | 51.6% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 30 | 14/13/3 | 46.7% |
| B33 | Sicilian: Sveshnikov | 28 | 15/11/2 | 53.6% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 26 | 11/10/5 | 42.3% |
| B77 | Sicilian: Dragon | 22 | 18/3/1 | 81.8% |
| B35 | Sicilian: Accelerated Dragon | 19 | 13/5/1 | 68.4% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 133 | 47/53/33 | 35.3% |
| C06 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 90 | 27/40/23 | 30.0% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 78 | 21/37/20 | 26.9% |
| E68 | Indian Defense | 51 | 15/21/15 | 29.4% |
| E69 | English Opening | 40 | 15/17/8 | 37.5% |
| D31 | Semi-Slav Defense | 37 | 9/17/11 | 24.3% |
| B57 | Sicilian | 32 | 15/9/8 | 46.9% |
| E70 | King's Indian Defense | 26 | 9/11/6 | 34.6% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 22 | 9/6/7 | 40.9% |
| C01 | French: Exchange Variation | 19 | 4/14/1 | 21.1% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2000 | Eloi Relange | 2,658 | chT-FRA 9900 | D30 |
| Feb 2010 | Sergey A. Fedorchuk | 2,641 | 26th Cappelle Open | A29 |
| Jul 2018 | Maxime Lagarde | 2,615 | ch-Francophone Blitz 5th | C01 |
| Jun 2015 | Hicham Hamdouchi | 2,608 | FRA-chT Top 12 | C04 |
| Sep 1997 | Zdenko Kozul | 2,605 | EU-Cup 13th Group2 | A84 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-FRA | 2005 | 151 | 79 | 2,458 |
| chT-FRA | 2001 | 83 | 61.5 | 2,536 |
| FRA-chT Top 12 | 2021 | 72 | 34 | 2,476 |
| ch-Paris Open | 2002 | 48 | 27 | 2,439 |
| Ciocaltea Memorial | 2000 | 27 | 13 | 2,465 |
| Cannes Open | 1995 | 26 | 15 | 2,522 |
| ch-Paris | 2005 | 22 | 13.5 | 2,498 |
| chB-FRA | 2006 | 22 | 11.5 | 2,364 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Anatoli Vaisser (23 games) · Eric Prie (21 games) · Jean-Marc Degraeve (19 games) · Arnaud Hauchard (18 games) · Eloi Relange (18 games) · Jean-Pierre Boudre (15 games) · Jean-Rene Koch (13 games) · Marc Santo-Roman (12 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,648 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Manuel Apicella's chess games?
1,648 games by Manuel Apicella, 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 Manuel Apicella has played.
What does Manuel Apicella play on the first move as White?
Across 827 games with White in our database, Manuel Apicella opens with 1.e4 (91% of games), 1.d4 (5% of games), 1.c4 (4% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Manuel Apicella answers 1...e6 (76% of games), 1...c5 (23% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (68% of games), 1...d5 (18% of games), 1...e6 (13% of games).
What openings does Manuel Apicella play as White?
As White, Manuel Apicella's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (160 games, 44.4% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (63 games, 41.3% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (52 games, 40.4% win rate). The full breakdown of 827 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Manuel Apicella play as Black?
As Black, Manuel Apicella most often plays: French: Winawer Variation (133 games, 35.3% win rate); French: Tarrasch Variation (90 games, 30.0% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (78 games, 26.9% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 821 games.
What is Manuel Apicella's FIDE rating?
Manuel Apicella is currently rated 2,448 in classical chess, 2,509 in rapid and 2,446 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,555 (Apr 2007).
How many games has Manuel Apicella played?
Our database contains 1,648 games by Manuel Apicella, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 662 wins, 655 draws, 331 losses (40.2% win rate).
How do I prepare against Manuel Apicella?
1,648 games by Manuel Apicella 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.