Prepare against Mario Villanueva
IM · Argentina · World #852 classical · FIDE ID 113433
When preparing against Mario Villanueva, expect 1.e4 in 96% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e6 (44% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (44%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation as Black, 5.3% over 19 games.
Our database contains 648 games by Mario Villanueva, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Mario Villanueva's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Mario Villanueva 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 | 2,466 | 2,496 | Dec 2018 |
| Rapid | 2,427 | 2,443 | Mar 2026 |
| Blitz | 2,358 | 2,438 | Dec 2017 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 648 | 265 | 269 | 114 | 40.9% |
| As White | 327 | 158 | 121 | 48 | 48.3% |
| As Black | 321 | 107 | 148 | 66 | 33.3% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Mario Villanueva's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Mario Villanueva's side.
First moves as White (327 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 314 | 96.0% | 67.4% |
| d4 | 13 | 4.0% | 53.8% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 96% of White games, 67.4% score
- …c5 (41% of these games) — Villanueva usually continues Nf3 (70.5% score)
- …e5 (32% of these games) — Villanueva usually continues Nf3 (61.7% score)
- …e6 (9% of these games) — Villanueva usually continues d4 (73.1% score)
- 1.d4 — 4% of White games, 53.8% score
- …Nf6 (38% of these games) — Villanueva usually continues c4 (60.0% score)
- …d5 (38% of these games) — Villanueva usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- …e6 (23% of these games) — Villanueva usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (142 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 63 | 44.4% | 69.8% |
| e5 | 58 | 40.8% | 58.6% |
| c6 | 12 | 8.5% | 83.3% |
| c5 | 9 | 6.3% | 38.9% |
As Black against 1.d4 (105 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 46 | 43.8% | 47.8% |
| d5 | 35 | 33.3% | 50.0% |
| e6 | 23 | 21.9% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 1.0% | 50.0% |
Mario Villanueva's chess games
All 648 games by Mario Villanueva in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - 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: 265 wins, 269 draws, 114 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B43 | Sicilian | 41 | 25/13/3 | 61.0% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 32 | 16/10/6 | 50.0% |
| C91 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 25 | 14/5/6 | 56.0% |
| C50 | Italian Game | 18 | 6/7/5 | 33.3% |
| B35 | Sicilian: Accelerated Dragon | 14 | 8/4/2 | 57.1% |
| C06 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 14 | 6/7/1 | 42.9% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 13 | 7/4/2 | 53.8% |
| B52 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 11 | 5/6/0 | 45.5% |
| B48 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 11 | 4/6/1 | 36.4% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 10 | 2/6/2 | 20.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 33 | 12/16/5 | 36.4% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 21 | 11/10/0 | 52.4% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 19 | 1/10/8 | 5.3% |
| A13 | English Opening | 19 | 8/7/4 | 42.1% |
| C07 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 16 | 8/7/1 | 50.0% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 15 | 4/8/3 | 26.7% |
| D32 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 13 | 3/7/3 | 23.1% |
| A05 | Réti Opening | 12 | 2/6/4 | 16.7% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 11 | 2/7/2 | 18.2% |
| E05 | Catalan | 9 | 0/7/2 | 0.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2018 | Rauf Mamedov | 2,709 | PRO League Stage | B78 |
| Feb 2018 | Yifan Hou | 2,680 | PRO League Stage | A49 |
| Feb 2020 | Ray Robson | 2,673 | PRO League Stage | C48 |
| Feb 2017 | Andrey Vovk | 2,633 | PRO League Stage | B67 |
| Aug 2018 | Diego Flores | 2,625 | chT-ARG | B43 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRO League Stage | 2020 | 44 | 17 | 2,455 |
| chT-ARG | 2024 | 43 | 35 | 2,518 |
| ch-ARG 89th | 2014 | 13 | 8 | 2,562 |
| ch-ARG 92nd | 2017 | 13 | 7 | 2,511 |
| ch-ARG 91st | 2016 | 13 | 5 | 2,361 |
| ch-ARG 93rd | 2018 | 13 | 7 | 2,473 |
| 18th American Continental | 2025 | 11 | 8 | 2,511 |
| Mercosur Cup 19th | 2015 | 11 | 4 | 2,374 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Sergio Slipak (15 games) · Diego Valerga (13 games) · Pablo Ismael Acosta (13 games) · Ernesto Real De Azua (12 games) · Diego Flores (11 games) · Andres Rodriguez Vila (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 648 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Mario Villanueva's chess games?
648 games by Mario Villanueva, from Apr 2003 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 Mario Villanueva has played.
What does Mario Villanueva play on the first move as White?
Across 327 games with White in our database, Mario Villanueva opens with 1.e4 (96% of games), 1.d4 (4% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Mario Villanueva answers 1...e6 (44% of games), 1...e5 (41% of games), 1...c6 (8% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (44% of games), 1...d5 (33% of games), 1...e6 (22% of games).
What openings does Mario Villanueva play as White?
As White, Mario Villanueva's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (41 games, 61.0% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (32 games, 50.0% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (25 games, 56.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 327 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Mario Villanueva play as Black?
As Black, Mario Villanueva most often plays: Petrov's Defense (33 games, 36.4% win rate); French: Classical Variation (21 games, 52.4% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (19 games, 5.3% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 321 games.
What is Mario Villanueva's FIDE rating?
Mario Villanueva is currently rated 2,466 in classical chess, 2,427 in rapid and 2,358 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,496 (Dec 2018).
How many games has Mario Villanueva played?
Our database contains 648 games by Mario Villanueva, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 265 wins, 269 draws, 114 losses (40.9% win rate).
How do I prepare against Mario Villanueva?
648 games by Mario Villanueva 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.