Prepare against Meelis Kanep
GM · Estonia · World #2,661 classical · FIDE ID 4501047
When preparing against Meelis Kanep, expect 1.d4 in 77% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (93% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (54%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Slav Defense as Black, 10.2% over 49 games.
Our database contains 1,378 games by Meelis Kanep, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Meelis Kanep's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Meelis Kanep 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 | 2,353 | 2,537 | Nov 2010 |
| Rapid | 2,275 | 2,521 | Apr 2016 |
| Blitz | 2,239 | 2,521 | Jul 2012 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,378 | 515 | 571 | 292 | 37.4% |
| As White | 693 | 294 | 276 | 123 | 42.4% |
| As Black | 685 | 221 | 295 | 169 | 32.3% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Meelis Kanep's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Meelis Kanep's side.
First moves as White (693 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 537 | 77.5% | 62.7% |
| Nf3 | 109 | 15.7% | 62.8% |
| c4 | 23 | 3.3% | 52.2% |
| e4 | 21 | 3.0% | 61.9% |
| b3 | 2 | 0.3% | 75.0% |
| g3 | 1 | 0.1% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 77% of White games, 62.7% score
- …Nf6 (54% of these games) — Kanep usually continues c4 (58.7% score)
- …d5 (27% of these games) — Kanep usually continues c4 (61.7% score)
- …e6 (7% of these games) — Kanep usually continues c4 (69.2% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 16% of White games, 62.8% score
- …Nf6 (44% of these games) — Kanep usually continues c4 (63.6% score)
- …d5 (39% of these games) — Kanep usually continues g3 (62.5% score)
- …c5 (6% of these games) — Kanep usually continues c4 (60.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (322 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 300 | 93.2% | 59.0% |
| d6 | 9 | 2.8% | 38.9% |
| g6 | 8 | 2.5% | 62.5% |
| e5 | 2 | 0.6% | 50.0% |
| e6 | 2 | 0.6% | 100.0% |
| c6 | 1 | 0.3% | 0.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (235 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 128 | 54.5% | 53.1% |
| d5 | 101 | 43.0% | 45.0% |
| g6 | 4 | 1.7% | 50.0% |
| c5 | 1 | 0.4% | 100.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.4% | 100.0% |
Meelis Kanep's chess games
All 1,378 games by Meelis Kanep in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Sep 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: 515 wins, 571 draws, 292 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A45 | Trompowsky Attack | 130 | 58/36/36 | 44.6% |
| D11 | Slav Defense | 66 | 27/26/13 | 40.9% |
| D55 | Indian Defense | 64 | 24/32/8 | 37.5% |
| E04 | Catalan | 33 | 7/19/7 | 21.2% |
| A09 | Réti Opening | 30 | 11/14/5 | 36.7% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 28 | 14/9/5 | 50.0% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 28 | 14/10/4 | 50.0% |
| A17 | English Opening | 27 | 10/16/1 | 37.0% |
| D87 | Grünfeld Defense | 25 | 12/12/1 | 48.0% |
| A44 | Benoni Defense | 17 | 13/3/1 | 76.5% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B80 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 107 | 50/33/24 | 46.7% |
| B33 | Sicilian | 90 | 35/39/16 | 38.9% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 49 | 5/26/18 | 10.2% |
| E62 | Indian Defense | 36 | 10/15/11 | 27.8% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 30 | 9/15/6 | 30.0% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 27 | 7/14/6 | 25.9% |
| A13 | English Opening | 26 | 7/15/4 | 26.9% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 21 | 9/7/5 | 42.9% |
| D02 | Réti Opening | 20 | 4/9/7 | 20.0% |
| E91 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 19 | 4/10/5 | 21.1% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2006 | Kiril Georgiev | 2,685 | Liepajas Rokade | D14 |
| Aug 2006 | Zurab Azmaiparashvili | 2,669 | Liepajas Rokade | D20 |
| Feb 2012 | Mircea-Emilian Parligras | 2,650 | 10th Gibraltar Masters | D21 |
| Dec 2014 | Sergei Azarov | 2,635 | ch-EU rapid | D25 |
| Nov 2021 | Daniel Fridman | 2,626 | 21st Puhajarve Rapid Open | E62 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-EST | 2022 | 90 | 59.5 | 2,457 |
| Keres Memorial Open | 2004 | 33 | 18 | 2,259 |
| ch-EU rapid | 2019 | 28 | 17.5 | 2,508 |
| Keres Memorial A | 2008 | 27 | 16 | 2,549 |
| Moscow Aeroflot Open B | 2006 | 25 | 15 | 2,491 |
| Liepajas Rokade Open | 2018 | 24 | 14 | 2,470 |
| Titled Tuesday | 2020 | 23 | 14 | 2,409 |
| Wch U18 | 2001 | 23 | 10.5 | 2,348 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Kaido Kulaots (53 games) · Tarvo Seeman (34 games) · Aleksandr Volodin (24 games) · Olav Sepp (20 games) · Kalle Kiik (20 games) · Tomi Nyback (15 games) · Arturs Neiksans (14 games) · Kirill Chukavin (13 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,378 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Meelis Kanep's chess games?
1,378 games by Meelis Kanep, from Apr 2003 to Sep 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 Meelis Kanep has played.
What does Meelis Kanep play on the first move as White?
Across 693 games with White in our database, Meelis Kanep opens with 1.d4 (77% of games), 1.Nf3 (16% of games), 1.c4 (3% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Meelis Kanep answers 1...c5 (93% of games), 1...d6 (3% of games), 1...g6 (2% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (54% of games), 1...d5 (43% of games), 1...g6 (2% of games).
What openings does Meelis Kanep play as White?
As White, Meelis Kanep's most-played openings in our database are: Trompowsky Attack (130 games, 44.6% win rate); Slav Defense (66 games, 40.9% win rate); Indian Defense (64 games, 37.5% win rate). The full breakdown of 693 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Meelis Kanep play as Black?
As Black, Meelis Kanep most often plays: Sicilian: Najdorf (107 games, 46.7% win rate); Sicilian (90 games, 38.9% win rate); Slav Defense (49 games, 10.2% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 685 games.
What is Meelis Kanep's FIDE rating?
Meelis Kanep is currently rated 2,353 in classical chess, 2,275 in rapid and 2,239 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,537 (Nov 2010).
How many games has Meelis Kanep played?
Our database contains 1,378 games by Meelis Kanep, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 515 wins, 571 draws, 292 losses (37.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against Meelis Kanep?
1,378 games by Meelis Kanep 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.