Prepare against Momchil Nikolov
GM · BGR · World #1,415 classical · FIDE ID 2905710
When preparing against Momchil Nikolov, expect 1.d4 in 74% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (75% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (95%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Queen's Indian Defense as Black, 21.4% over 42 games.
Our database contains 1,948 games by Momchil Nikolov, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Momchil Nikolov's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Momchil Nikolov 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 | 2,417 | 2,589 | Jul 2011 |
| Rapid | 2,478 | 2,554 | Jun 2019 |
| Blitz | 2,413 | 2,522 | Jun 2015 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,948 | 853 | 846 | 249 | 43.8% |
| As White | 970 | 460 | 409 | 101 | 47.4% |
| As Black | 978 | 393 | 437 | 148 | 40.2% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Momchil Nikolov's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Momchil Nikolov's side.
First moves as White (970 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 714 | 73.6% | 69.4% |
| e4 | 174 | 17.9% | 65.2% |
| Nf3 | 54 | 5.6% | 69.4% |
| c4 | 23 | 2.4% | 60.9% |
| Nh3 | 3 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
| b3 | 2 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 74% of White games, 69.4% score
- …Nf6 (57% of these games) — Nikolov usually continues c4 (66.0% score)
- …d5 (27% of these games) — Nikolov usually continues Nf3 (73.4% score)
- …d6 (5% of these games) — Nikolov usually continues e4 (75.9% score)
- 1.e4 — 18% of White games, 65.2% score
- …c5 (52% of these games) — Nikolov usually continues Nf3 (65.2% score)
- …e5 (22% of these games) — Nikolov usually continues Nf3 (60.0% score)
- …e6 (8% of these games) — Nikolov usually continues d4 (72.7% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (482 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 361 | 74.9% | 67.5% |
| e5 | 107 | 22.2% | 51.9% |
| c6 | 11 | 2.3% | 59.1% |
| e6 | 2 | 0.4% | 50.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (327 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 312 | 95.4% | 59.9% |
| d5 | 13 | 4.0% | 50.0% |
| b5 | 2 | 0.6% | 50.0% |
Momchil Nikolov's chess games
All 1,948 games by Momchil Nikolov 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: 853 wins, 846 draws, 249 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D35 | Indian Defense | 105 | 49/46/10 | 46.7% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 104 | 39/50/15 | 37.5% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 95 | 42/44/9 | 44.2% |
| E81 | King's Indian: Sämisch | 61 | 38/15/8 | 62.3% |
| A58 | Benoni Defense | 50 | 30/13/7 | 60.0% |
| A17 | English Opening | 38 | 20/15/3 | 52.6% |
| D26 | Queen's Pawn Game | 30 | 20/7/3 | 66.7% |
| D43 | Semi-Slav Defense | 27 | 15/8/4 | 55.6% |
| B41 | Sicilian | 27 | 11/10/6 | 40.7% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 26 | 6/18/2 | 23.1% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B42 | Sicilian | 270 | 139/85/46 | 51.5% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 77 | 23/38/16 | 29.9% |
| A34 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 53 | 21/28/4 | 39.6% |
| E17 | Queen's Indian Defense | 42 | 9/25/8 | 21.4% |
| A34 | English Opening | 39 | 18/17/4 | 46.2% |
| A62 | Catalan | 38 | 14/17/7 | 36.8% |
| A70 | Benoni Defense | 34 | 19/10/5 | 55.9% |
| E59 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 26 | 10/13/3 | 38.5% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 24 | 13/9/2 | 54.2% |
| A04 | Réti Opening | 22 | 13/7/2 | 59.1% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2011 | Arkadij Naiditsch | 2,706 | chT-SRB | A61 |
| Mar 2010 | Boris Savchenko | 2,652 | 11th ch-EU | A65 |
| Mar 2012 | Bartosz Socko | 2,647 | 13th EU-ch | B42 |
| Oct 2010 | Tomi Nyback | 2,635 | 26th EU-Cup | A17 |
| Jul 2017 | Zbynek Hracek | 2,618 | 10th Paleochora Open | C42 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-BUL | 2024 | 42 | 27.5 | 2,531 |
| Primorsko Open | 2020 | 33 | 24 | 2,501 |
| Liffre Open | 2024 | 31 | 22.5 | 2,468 |
| Plovdiv Tringov Memorial | 2007 | 27 | 20 | 2,495 |
| ch-BUL qual | 2007 | 20 | 15 | 2,441 |
| Skopje Karposh Open | 2016 | 18 | 12.5 | 2,580 |
| ch-EU U12 | 1997 | 18 | 10.5 | 2,275 |
| Albena Open | 2017 | 18 | 13 | 2,472 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Radoslav Dimitrov (36 games) · Ivajlo Enchev (30 games) · Vasil Spasov (22 games) · Sasho Nikolov (16 games) · Aleksander Delchev (15 games) · Boris Chatalbashev (13 games) · Spas Kozhuharov (13 games) · Marian Petrov (12 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,948 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Momchil Nikolov's chess games?
1,948 games by Momchil Nikolov, 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 Momchil Nikolov has played.
What does Momchil Nikolov play on the first move as White?
Across 970 games with White in our database, Momchil Nikolov opens with 1.d4 (74% of games), 1.e4 (18% of games), 1.Nf3 (6% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Momchil Nikolov answers 1...c5 (75% of games), 1...e5 (22% of games), 1...c6 (2% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (95% of games), 1...d5 (4% of games), 1...b5 (1% of games).
What openings does Momchil Nikolov play as White?
As White, Momchil Nikolov's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (105 games, 46.7% win rate); Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation (104 games, 37.5% win rate); Slav Defense (95 games, 44.2% win rate). The full breakdown of 970 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Momchil Nikolov play as Black?
As Black, Momchil Nikolov most often plays: Sicilian (270 games, 51.5% win rate); Indian Defense (77 games, 29.9% win rate); English Opening: Symmetrical (53 games, 39.6% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 978 games.
What is Momchil Nikolov's FIDE rating?
Momchil Nikolov is currently rated 2,417 in classical chess, 2,478 in rapid and 2,413 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,589 (Jul 2011).
How many games has Momchil Nikolov played?
Our database contains 1,948 games by Momchil Nikolov, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 853 wins, 846 draws, 249 losses (43.8% win rate).
How do I prepare against Momchil Nikolov?
1,948 games by Momchil Nikolov 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.