Prepare against Nathan Birnboim
IM · Israel · World #4,062 classical · FIDE ID 2800209
When preparing against Nathan Birnboim, expect 1.d4 in 65% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (66% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (76%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: English Opening as White, 25.0% over 16 games.
Our database contains 888 games by Nathan Birnboim, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Nathan Birnboim's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Nathan Birnboim 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 | 2,301 | 2,398 | Feb 2013 |
| Rapid | 2,292 | 2,353 | Oct 2014 |
| Blitz | 2,237 | 2,398 | Jan 2013 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 888 | 353 | 264 | 271 | 39.8% |
| As White | 454 | 213 | 129 | 112 | 46.9% |
| As Black | 434 | 140 | 135 | 159 | 32.3% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Nathan Birnboim's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Nathan Birnboim's side.
First moves as White (454 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 294 | 64.8% | 62.6% |
| e4 | 99 | 21.8% | 56.6% |
| Nf3 | 33 | 7.3% | 53.0% |
| c4 | 20 | 4.4% | 65.0% |
| g3 | 4 | 0.9% | 100.0% |
| b3 | 1 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 65% of White games, 62.6% score
- …Nf6 (69% of these games) — Birnboim usually continues c4 (66.1% score)
- …d5 (18% of these games) — Birnboim usually continues c4 (56.1% score)
- …e6 (5% of these games) — Birnboim usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- 1.e4 — 22% of White games, 56.6% score
- …c5 (45% of these games) — Birnboim usually continues Nf3 (47.0% score)
- …e5 (17% of these games) — Birnboim usually continues Nf3 (31.8% score)
- …c6 (14% of these games) — Birnboim usually continues d4 (57.1% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (206 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 135 | 65.5% | 48.1% |
| e6 | 39 | 18.9% | 60.3% |
| e5 | 16 | 7.8% | 43.8% |
| c6 | 7 | 3.4% | 42.9% |
| Nf6 | 4 | 1.9% | 37.5% |
| g6 | 3 | 1.5% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (135 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 103 | 76.3% | 44.7% |
| d5 | 13 | 9.6% | 26.9% |
| e6 | 10 | 7.4% | 45.0% |
| d6 | 3 | 2.2% | 50.0% |
| c5 | 3 | 2.2% | 66.7% |
| g6 | 2 | 1.5% | 100.0% |
Nathan Birnboim's chess games
All 888 games by Nathan Birnboim 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: 353 wins, 264 draws, 271 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E04 | Catalan | 109 | 59/23/27 | 54.1% |
| E66 | King's Indian Defense | 39 | 22/11/6 | 56.4% |
| D18 | Slav Defense | 24 | 9/9/6 | 37.5% |
| E66 | Indian Defense | 22 | 10/7/5 | 45.5% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 19 | 5/7/7 | 26.3% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 19 | 13/2/4 | 68.4% |
| A42 | Modern Defense | 17 | 8/7/2 | 47.1% |
| A31 | English Opening | 16 | 4/4/8 | 25.0% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 10 | 2/5/3 | 20.0% |
| B10 | Caro-Kann | 9 | 4/2/3 | 44.4% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B33 | Sicilian: Sveshnikov | 55 | 19/18/18 | 34.5% |
| D93 | Grünfeld Defense | 41 | 12/14/15 | 29.3% |
| D76 | Indian Defense | 26 | 7/10/9 | 26.9% |
| B31 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 24 | 8/8/8 | 33.3% |
| A16 | English Opening | 22 | 6/10/6 | 27.3% |
| A28 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 21 | 6/8/7 | 28.6% |
| B22 | Sicilian | 18 | 7/5/6 | 38.9% |
| B45 | Sicilian: Four Knights | 16 | 4/5/7 | 25.0% |
| C16 | French: Winawer Variation | 13 | 2/4/7 | 15.4% |
| C03 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 12 | 8/2/2 | 66.7% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2018 | Tamir Nabaty | 2,692 | 4th Jerusalem Japhet Memorial Open | D02 |
| Jan 1986 | Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoj | 2,650 | Jerusalem | E04 |
| Feb 2015 | Evgeny Postny | 2,647 | 16th ch-EU | A65 |
| Nov 1982 | Larry Christiansen | 2,585 | Olympiad-25 | E16 |
| Jan 1980 | Oleg M Romanishin | 2,580 | 7th chT-EU Final | A29 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-ISR | 2016 | 142 | 77 | 2,402 |
| Beersheba | 1987 | 37 | 18.5 | 2,482 |
| WchT Seniors 65 | 2023 | 36 | 19 | 2,317 |
| Tel Aviv | 1993 | 35 | 16.5 | 2,354 |
| chT-ISR | 2023 | 35 | 16 | 2,353 |
| Rishon Le Ziyyon | 1993 | 26 | 10.5 | 2,371 |
| chT-EU Seniors 65 | 2024 | 23 | 15 | 2,352 |
| Netanya Open | 2019 | 18 | 12 | 2,511 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Yehuda Gruenfeld (15 games) · Alon Greenfeld (11 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 888 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Nathan Birnboim's chess games?
888 games by Nathan Birnboim, 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 Nathan Birnboim has played.
What does Nathan Birnboim play on the first move as White?
Across 454 games with White in our database, Nathan Birnboim opens with 1.d4 (65% of games), 1.e4 (22% of games), 1.Nf3 (7% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Nathan Birnboim answers 1...c5 (66% of games), 1...e6 (19% of games), 1...e5 (8% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (76% of games), 1...d5 (10% of games), 1...e6 (7% of games).
What openings does Nathan Birnboim play as White?
As White, Nathan Birnboim's most-played openings in our database are: Catalan (109 games, 54.1% win rate); King's Indian Defense (39 games, 56.4% win rate); Slav Defense (24 games, 37.5% win rate). The full breakdown of 454 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Nathan Birnboim play as Black?
As Black, Nathan Birnboim most often plays: Sicilian: Sveshnikov (55 games, 34.5% win rate); Grünfeld Defense (41 games, 29.3% win rate); Indian Defense (26 games, 26.9% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 434 games.
What is Nathan Birnboim's FIDE rating?
Nathan Birnboim is currently rated 2,301 in classical chess, 2,292 in rapid and 2,237 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,398 (Feb 2013).
How many games has Nathan Birnboim played?
Our database contains 888 games by Nathan Birnboim, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 353 wins, 264 draws, 271 losses (39.8% win rate).
How do I prepare against Nathan Birnboim?
888 games by Nathan Birnboim 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.