Prepare against Mikhail Kobalia
GM · FIDE · World #413 classical · FIDE ID 4119150
Our database contains 3,983 games by Mikhail Kobalia, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Mikhail Kobalia's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Mikhail Kobalia 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 | 2,529 | 2,679 | Jul 2011 |
| Rapid | 2,505 | 2,652 | Oct 2012 |
| Blitz | 2,471 | 2,677 | Jul 2012 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3,983 | 1,884 | 1,140 | 959 | 47.3% |
| As White | 2,017 | 1,041 | 569 | 407 | 51.6% |
| As Black | 1,966 | 843 | 571 | 552 | 42.9% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Mikhail Kobalia's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Mikhail Kobalia's side.
First moves as White (2,017 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 1,726 | 85.6% | 64.8% |
| Nf3 | 112 | 5.6% | 74.1% |
| d4 | 109 | 5.4% | 65.1% |
| c4 | 52 | 2.6% | 72.1% |
| b3 | 9 | 0.4% | 72.2% |
| e3 | 6 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 86% of White games, 64.8% score
- …c5 (41% of these games) — Kobalia usually continues Nf3 (65.0% score)
- …e5 (25% of these games) — Kobalia usually continues Nf3 (60.4% score)
- …e6 (14% of these games) — Kobalia usually continues d4 (64.4% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 6% of White games, 74.1% score
- …Nf6 (46% of these games) — Kobalia usually continues c4 (68.9% score)
- …d5 (35% of these games) — Kobalia usually continues c4 (78.9% score)
- …c5 (9% of these games) — Kobalia usually continues e4 (62.5% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (883 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 457 | 51.8% | 63.1% |
| c6 | 187 | 21.2% | 57.2% |
| e5 | 173 | 19.6% | 50.6% |
| e6 | 29 | 3.3% | 56.9% |
| g6 | 18 | 2.0% | 58.3% |
| d6 | 8 | 0.9% | 87.5% |
As Black against 1.d4 (707 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 495 | 70.0% | 52.0% |
| Nf6 | 108 | 15.3% | 70.8% |
| f5 | 72 | 10.2% | 68.8% |
| g6 | 17 | 2.4% | 58.8% |
| e6 | 7 | 1.0% | 50.0% |
| d6 | 5 | 0.7% | 60.0% |
Mikhail Kobalia's chess games
All 3,983 games by Mikhail Kobalia 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: 1,884 wins, 1,140 draws, 959 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B40 | Sicilian | 220 | 123/54/43 | 55.9% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 146 | 72/33/41 | 49.3% |
| B31 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 139 | 83/28/28 | 59.7% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 108 | 52/28/28 | 48.1% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 102 | 45/30/27 | 44.1% |
| C84 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 99 | 51/27/21 | 51.5% |
| C07 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 90 | 43/34/13 | 47.8% |
| C00 | King's Indian Attack | 88 | 68/5/15 | 77.3% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 62 | 26/21/15 | 41.9% |
| C65 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 56 | 14/29/13 | 25.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D45 | Slav Defense | 392 | 129/154/109 | 32.9% |
| B46 | Sicilian | 325 | 169/70/86 | 52.0% |
| A80 | Dutch Defense | 86 | 47/19/20 | 54.7% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 72 | 31/20/21 | 43.1% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 57 | 25/15/17 | 43.9% |
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 54 | 9/33/12 | 16.7% |
| A11 | English Opening: Slav Setup | 54 | 14/20/20 | 25.9% |
| B13 | London System | 48 | 17/14/17 | 35.4% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 47 | 30/5/12 | 63.8% |
| E70 | King's Indian Defense | 36 | 25/2/9 | 69.4% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2022 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,781 | Titled Tue Early | C42 |
| Jul 2022 | Wesley So | 2,773 | Titled Tue Early | B12 |
| Aug 2025 | Alireza Firouzja | 2,766 | Titled Tue Early | A07 |
| Dec 2019 | Leinier Dominguez Perez | 2,758 | Wch Blitz | B13 |
| Jul 2024 | Vladimir Kramnik | 2,753 | Titled Tue Early | B42 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 1,245 | 806.5 | 2,489 |
| Wch Blitz | 2023 | 84 | 44.5 | 2,600 |
| Wch Rapid | 2023 | 68 | 35.5 | 2,546 |
| Biel MTO Open | 2006 | 39 | 28.5 | 2,657 |
| ch-RUS blitz | 2018 | 36 | 17.5 | 2,466 |
| 7th Wch Blitz | 2013 | 30 | 14 | 2,543 |
| ch-RUS rapid | 2018 | 28 | 19 | 2,590 |
| Moscow Aeroflot Open A | 2020 | 26 | 15.5 | 2,622 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Alexey Sarana (24 games) · Evgeniy Najer (18 games) · Artyom Timofeev (17 games) · Andrey Esipenko (17 games) · Vladimir Potkin (16 games) · Daniil Dubov (15 games) · Alexander Motylev (14 games) · Anton Demchenko (14 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 3,983 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Mikhail Kobalia's chess games?
3,983 games by Mikhail Kobalia, 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 Mikhail Kobalia has played.
What does Mikhail Kobalia play on the first move as White?
Across 2,017 games with White in our database, Mikhail Kobalia opens with 1.e4 (86% of games), 1.Nf3 (6% of games), 1.d4 (5% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Mikhail Kobalia answers 1...c5 (52% of games), 1...c6 (21% of games), 1...e5 (20% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (70% of games), 1...Nf6 (15% of games), 1...f5 (10% of games).
What openings does Mikhail Kobalia play as White?
As White, Mikhail Kobalia's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (220 games, 55.9% win rate); Sicilian: Moscow Variation (146 games, 49.3% win rate); Sicilian: Rossolimo (139 games, 59.7% win rate). The full breakdown of 2,017 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Mikhail Kobalia play as Black?
As Black, Mikhail Kobalia most often plays: Slav Defense (392 games, 32.9% win rate); Sicilian (325 games, 52.0% win rate); Dutch Defense (86 games, 54.7% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,966 games.
What is Mikhail Kobalia's FIDE rating?
Mikhail Kobalia is currently rated 2,529 in classical chess, 2,505 in rapid and 2,471 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,679 (Jul 2011).
How many games has Mikhail Kobalia played?
Our database contains 3,983 games by Mikhail Kobalia, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 1,884 wins, 1,140 draws, 959 losses (47.3% win rate).
How do I prepare against Mikhail Kobalia?
3,983 games by Mikhail Kobalia 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.