Prepare against Marian Popa
Romania · World #105,971 classical · FIDE ID 1213270
When preparing against Marian Popa, expect 1.d4 in 88% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e6 (100% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (93%).
Our database contains 67 games by Marian Popa, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Marian Popa's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Marian Popa 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 | 1,712 | 2,034 | Jan 2004 |
| Rapid | 1,727 | 1,774 | Dec 2025 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 67 | 19 | 21 | 27 | 28.4% |
| As White | 32 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 28.1% |
| As Black | 35 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 28.6% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Marian Popa's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Marian Popa's side.
First moves as White (32 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 28 | 87.5% | 39.3% |
| c4 | 4 | 12.5% | 75.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 88% of White games, 39.3% score
- …Nf6 (57% of these games) — Popa usually continues c4 (28.1% score)
- …d5 (36% of these games) — Popa usually continues c4 (60.0% score)
- …g6 (4% of these games) — Popa usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- 1.c4 — 13% of White games, 75.0% score
- …e5 (50% of these games) — Popa usually continues Nc3 (100.0% score)
- …Nf6 (25% of these games) — Popa usually continues Nc3 (0.0% score)
- …c5 (25% of these games) — Popa usually continues Nc3 (100.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (16 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 16 | 100.0% | 43.8% |
As Black against 1.d4 (14 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 13 | 92.9% | 42.3% |
| d5 | 1 | 7.1% | 0.0% |
Marian Popa's chess games
All 67 games by Marian Popa 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: 19 wins, 21 draws, 27 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A50 | Indian Defense | 6 | 1/3/2 | 16.7% |
| E91 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 4 | 1/2/1 | 25.0% |
| A58 | Benoni Defense | 3 | 1/0/2 | 33.3% |
| D18 | Slav Defense | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| A21 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 2 | 2/0/0 | 100.0% |
| D86 | Grünfeld Defense | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| E43 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| B38 | English Opening | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| A52 | Budapest Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| A86 | Modern Defense | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C05 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 5 | 1/1/3 | 20.0% |
| C00 | King's Indian Attack | 4 | 1/0/3 | 25.0% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 3 | 1/2/0 | 33.3% |
| B22 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 3 | 1/1/1 | 33.3% |
| D03 | Torre Attack | 2 | 0/2/0 | 0.0% |
| A34 | English Opening | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| C01 | French: Exchange Variation | 2 | 1/1/0 | 50.0% |
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| A22 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1998 | Mihai-Catalin Panait | 2,240 | Centrocoop June Open B | A22 |
| May 2003 | Gheorghe Pepene | 2,159 | Ploiesti Master Open | C00 |
| Sep 2002 | Leonid Pogorevici | 2,144 | Ploiesti TC IND Cup Open | A06 |
| Jan 1998 | Lyudmila Frantsuzova | 2,120 | Centrocoop June Open B | A37 |
| Jul 2009 | Olivier Roques | 1,820 | Condom Open A | E94 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centrocoop June Open B | 1999 | 22 | 11 | 1,917 |
| Ploiesti TC IND Cup Open | 2002 | 11 | 5.5 | 2,107 |
| Ploiesti Master Open | 2003 | 8 | 3.5 | 2,114 |
| Revelion Open | 1999 | 7 | 4 | 2,173 |
| Revelionul Mileniului Rapid | 2000 | 5 | 2.5 | 2,011 |
| Condom Open A | 2009 | 4 | 2.5 | 2,151 |
| Bicaz City Cup | 2020 | 3 | 0 | 1,700 |
| 19th Albena Open | 2011 | 2 | 0.5 | 2,118 |
Interactive opening tree from all 67 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Marian Popa's chess games?
67 games by Marian Popa, 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 Marian Popa has played.
What does Marian Popa play on the first move as White?
Across 32 games with White in our database, Marian Popa opens with 1.d4 (88% of games), 1.c4 (13% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Marian Popa answers 1...e6 (100% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (93% of games), 1...d5 (7% of games).
What openings does Marian Popa play as White?
As White, Marian Popa's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (6 games, 16.7% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (4 games, 25.0% win rate); Benoni Defense (3 games, 33.3% win rate). The full breakdown of 32 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Marian Popa play as Black?
As Black, Marian Popa most often plays: French: Tarrasch Variation (5 games, 20.0% win rate); King's Indian Attack (4 games, 25.0% win rate); French: Advance Variation (3 games, 33.3% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 35 games.
What is Marian Popa's FIDE rating?
Marian Popa is currently rated 1,712 in classical chess, 1,727 in rapid. Peak classical rating: 2,034 (Jan 2004).
How many games has Marian Popa played?
Our database contains 67 games by Marian Popa, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 19 wins, 21 draws, 27 losses (28.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against Marian Popa?
67 games by Marian Popa 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.