Prepare against Mihai Ionescu
IM · Romania · World #7,025 classical · FIDE ID 1202499
Our database contains 517 games by Mihai Ionescu, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Mihai Ionescu's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Mihai Ionescu 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 | 2,224 | 2,414 | Apr 2003 |
| Rapid | 2,220 | 2,327 | May 2012 |
| Blitz | 2,279 | 2,333 | Oct 2013 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 517 | 165 | 154 | 198 | 31.9% |
| As White | 259 | 91 | 73 | 95 | 35.1% |
| As Black | 258 | 74 | 81 | 103 | 28.7% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Mihai Ionescu's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Mihai Ionescu's side.
First moves as White (259 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf3 | 145 | 56.0% | 50.3% |
| d4 | 73 | 28.2% | 45.9% |
| e4 | 35 | 13.5% | 52.9% |
| b3 | 3 | 1.2% | 16.7% |
| a4 | 1 | 0.4% | 100.0% |
| c4 | 1 | 0.4% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.Nf3 — 56% of White games, 50.3% score
- …Nf6 (48% of these games) — Ionescu usually continues c4 (48.2% score)
- …d5 (24% of these games) — Ionescu usually continues d4 (63.2% score)
- …c5 (10% of these games) — Ionescu usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- 1.d4 — 28% of White games, 45.9% score
- …Nf6 (63% of these games) — Ionescu usually continues c4 (44.6% score)
- …d5 (21% of these games) — Ionescu usually continues c4 (66.7% score)
- …e6 (5% of these games) — Ionescu usually continues Nf3 (0.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (116 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 42 | 36.2% | 42.9% |
| e5 | 39 | 33.6% | 38.5% |
| e6 | 13 | 11.2% | 19.2% |
| d5 | 10 | 8.6% | 30.0% |
| c6 | 6 | 5.2% | 66.7% |
| g6 | 3 | 2.6% | 33.3% |
As Black against 1.d4 (91 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 46 | 50.5% | 50.0% |
| d5 | 36 | 39.6% | 50.0% |
| e6 | 7 | 7.7% | 50.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 1.1% | 0.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 1.1% | 0.0% |
Mihai Ionescu's chess games
All 517 games by Mihai Ionescu 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: 165 wins, 154 draws, 198 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E05 | Catalan | 26 | 8/9/9 | 30.8% |
| A30 | English Opening | 24 | 7/6/11 | 29.2% |
| E92 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 23 | 9/5/9 | 39.1% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 23 | 9/4/10 | 39.1% |
| A30 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 16 | 6/6/4 | 37.5% |
| D36 | Indian Defense | 15 | 3/5/7 | 20.0% |
| D12 | Slav Defense | 13 | 5/6/2 | 38.5% |
| A42 | Modern Defense | 11 | 3/4/4 | 27.3% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 10 | 3/4/3 | 30.0% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 9 | 3/3/3 | 33.3% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A50 | Indian Defense | 36 | 12/8/16 | 33.3% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 28 | 5/12/11 | 17.9% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 22 | 5/11/6 | 22.7% |
| B40 | Sicilian | 15 | 4/4/7 | 26.7% |
| B01 | Scandinavian Defense: Main Line | 9 | 1/4/4 | 11.1% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 9 | 4/5/0 | 44.4% |
| B75 | Sicilian: Dragon | 8 | 2/0/6 | 25.0% |
| A45 | London System | 6 | 3/0/3 | 50.0% |
| A20 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 6 | 1/3/2 | 16.7% |
| C00 | French Defense | 6 | 0/2/4 | 0.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2024 | Frederik Svane | 2,654 | Titled Tue Late | A07 |
| Apr 2004 | Constantin Lupulescu | 2,556 | Ungureanu Memorial | A34 |
| Dec 2024 | Andrew Tang | 2,527 | Titled Tue Early | A50 |
| Nov 2006 | Vasile Sanduleac | 2,518 | chT-ROM div-A | A41 |
| Dec 2024 | Jegor Lashkin | 2,517 | Titled Tue Late | A06 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 173 | 79 | 2,203 |
| chT-ROM | 2014 | 46 | 17.5 | 2,298 |
| ch-ROM | 2017 | 29 | 15 | 2,300 |
| Ciocaltea Memorial | 2006 | 25 | 7 | 2,278 |
| ch-ROM sf | 2001 | 22 | 12.5 | 2,312 |
| chT2-ROM | 2013 | 18 | 9 | 2,289 |
| Budapest FS11 GM | 2003 | 13 | 7.5 | 2,504 |
| Bucharest TICC | 1997 | 12 | 7.5 | 2,472 |
Interactive opening tree from all 517 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Mihai Ionescu's chess games?
517 games by Mihai Ionescu, 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 Mihai Ionescu has played.
What does Mihai Ionescu play on the first move as White?
Across 259 games with White in our database, Mihai Ionescu opens with 1.Nf3 (56% of games), 1.d4 (28% of games), 1.e4 (14% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Mihai Ionescu answers 1...c5 (36% of games), 1...e5 (34% of games), 1...e6 (11% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (51% of games), 1...d5 (40% of games), 1...e6 (8% of games).
What openings does Mihai Ionescu play as White?
As White, Mihai Ionescu's most-played openings in our database are: Catalan (26 games, 30.8% win rate); English Opening (24 games, 29.2% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (23 games, 39.1% win rate). The full breakdown of 259 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Mihai Ionescu play as Black?
As Black, Mihai Ionescu most often plays: Indian Defense (36 games, 33.3% win rate); Petrov's Defense (28 games, 17.9% win rate); Slav Defense (22 games, 22.7% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 258 games.
What is Mihai Ionescu's FIDE rating?
Mihai Ionescu is currently rated 2,224 in classical chess, 2,220 in rapid and 2,279 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,414 (Apr 2003).
How many games has Mihai Ionescu played?
Our database contains 517 games by Mihai Ionescu, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 165 wins, 154 draws, 198 losses (31.9% win rate).
How do I prepare against Mihai Ionescu?
517 games by Mihai Ionescu 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.