Prepare against Momchil Nikolov
GM · BGR · World #1,231 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 (96%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Queen's Indian Defense as Black, 21.4% over 42 games.
Our database contains 1,933 games by Momchil Nikolov, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 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 | 2,430 | 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 | 1,933 | 849 | 838 | 246 | 43.9% |
| As White | 963 | 457 | 407 | 99 | 47.5% |
| As Black | 970 | 392 | 431 | 147 | 40.4% |
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 (963 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 712 | 73.9% | 69.5% |
| e4 | 170 | 17.7% | 65.0% |
| Nf3 | 54 | 5.6% | 69.4% |
| c4 | 22 | 2.3% | 61.4% |
| Nh3 | 3 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
| b3 | 2 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 74% of White games, 69.5% score
- …Nf6 (57% of these games) — Nikolov usually continues c4 (66.2% 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, 65.0% score
- …c5 (52% of these games) — Nikolov usually continues Nf3 (65.6% 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 (479 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 361 | 75.4% | 67.5% |
| e5 | 104 | 21.7% | 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 (324 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 310 | 95.7% | 60.2% |
| d5 | 12 | 3.7% | 50.0% |
| b5 | 2 | 0.6% | 50.0% |
Momchil Nikolov's chess games
All 1,933 games by Momchil Nikolov 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: 849 wins, 838 draws, 246 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 104 | 39/50/15 | 37.5% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 104 | 49/45/10 | 47.1% |
| 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% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 26 | 6/18/2 | 23.1% |
| B41 | Sicilian | 25 | 10/10/5 | 40.0% |
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 | 52 | 21/27/4 | 40.4% |
| 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% |
| C92 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 22 | 5/12/5 | 22.7% |
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 |
| Albena Open | 2017 | 18 | 13 | 2,472 |
| ch-EU U12 | 1997 | 18 | 10.5 | 2,275 |
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) · Spas Kozhuharov (13 games) · Boris Chatalbashev (13 games) · Marian Petrov (12 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,933 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Momchil Nikolov's chess games?
1,933 games by Momchil Nikolov, 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 Momchil Nikolov has played.
What does Momchil Nikolov play on the first move as White?
Across 963 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 (96% 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: Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation (104 games, 37.5% win rate); Indian Defense (104 games, 47.1% win rate); Slav Defense (95 games, 44.2% win rate). The full breakdown of 963 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 (52 games, 40.4% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 970 games.
What is Momchil Nikolov's FIDE rating?
Momchil Nikolov is currently rated 2,430 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 1,933 games by Momchil Nikolov, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 849 wins, 838 draws, 246 losses (43.9% win rate).
How do I prepare against Momchil Nikolov?
1,933 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.