Prepare against Nick De Firmian
GM · United States · World #2,275 classical · FIDE ID 2000105
When preparing against Nick De Firmian, expect 1.e4 in 95% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (94% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (97%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Queen's Indian Defense as Black, 20.0% over 40 games.
Our database contains 1,742 games by Nick De Firmian, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Nick De Firmian's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Nick De Firmian 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 | 2,369 | 2,560 | Apr 2006 |
| Rapid | 2,468 | 2,496 | Oct 2019 |
| Blitz | 2,387 | 2,410 | Jul 2026 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,742 | 707 | 718 | 316 | 40.6% |
| As White | 885 | 413 | 341 | 130 | 46.7% |
| As Black | 857 | 294 | 377 | 186 | 34.3% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Nick De Firmian's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Nick De Firmian's side.
First moves as White (885 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 843 | 95.3% | 66.0% |
| d4 | 38 | 4.3% | 64.5% |
| Nf3 | 3 | 0.3% | 83.3% |
| c4 | 1 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 95% of White games, 66.0% score
- …c5 (42% of these games) — Firmian usually continues Nf3 (66.7% score)
- …e5 (24% of these games) — Firmian usually continues Nf3 (61.4% score)
- …e6 (15% of these games) — Firmian usually continues d4 (70.9% score)
- 1.d4 — 4% of White games, 64.5% score
- …Nf6 (71% of these games) — Firmian usually continues c4 (65.9% score)
- …d5 (26% of these games) — Firmian usually continues c4 (58.3% score)
- …g6 (3% of these games) — Firmian usually continues e4 (100.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (322 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 302 | 93.8% | 60.1% |
| Nf6 | 18 | 5.6% | 52.8% |
| e5 | 1 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (375 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 363 | 96.8% | 52.6% |
| e6 | 6 | 1.6% | 50.0% |
| d5 | 5 | 1.3% | 50.0% |
| f5 | 1 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
Nick De Firmian's chess games
All 1,742 games by Nick De Firmian 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: 707 wins, 718 draws, 316 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B57 | Sicilian | 139 | 71/50/18 | 51.1% |
| C92 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 82 | 28/36/18 | 34.1% |
| B85 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 74 | 34/27/13 | 45.9% |
| C19 | French: Winawer Variation | 60 | 32/21/7 | 53.3% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 47 | 24/20/2 | 51.1% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 32 | 16/13/3 | 50.0% |
| B47 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 32 | 17/12/3 | 53.1% |
| B76 | Sicilian: Dragon | 29 | 18/7/4 | 62.1% |
| B19 | Caro-Kann: Classical | 28 | 13/10/5 | 46.4% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 26 | 13/10/3 | 50.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 183 | 71/68/44 | 38.8% |
| A70 | Benoni Defense | 124 | 35/45/44 | 28.2% |
| A37 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 80 | 30/42/8 | 37.5% |
| A33 | English Opening | 61 | 14/35/12 | 23.0% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 47 | 20/19/8 | 42.6% |
| E44 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 45 | 12/23/10 | 26.7% |
| E18 | Queen's Indian Defense | 40 | 8/26/6 | 20.0% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 36 | 16/11/9 | 44.4% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 31 | 12/14/5 | 38.7% |
| B25 | Sicilian: Closed | 30 | 15/11/4 | 50.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2004 | Alexander G Beliavsky | 2,679 | 26th Politiken Cup | C88 |
| Aug 1996 | Valery Salov | 2,675 | Donner Memorial | A33 |
| Oct 1996 | Zurab Azmaiparashvili | 2,670 | Olympiad-32 | B01 |
| Jun 1999 | Jan H Timman | 2,670 | 07th Sigeman & Co | B90 |
| Aug 1996 | Ivan Sokolov | 2,670 | Donner Memorial | C88 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-USA | 2004 | 173 | 93.5 | 2,554 |
| New York Open | 2000 | 97 | 63.5 | 2,575 |
| Biel | 1995 | 41 | 17 | 2,525 |
| Reykjavik Open | 1994 | 40 | 25.5 | 2,596 |
| Las Vegas National Open | 2017 | 27 | 18.5 | 2,534 |
| Chicago Open | 1997 | 25 | 18.5 | 2,610 |
| San Francisco | 1995 | 22 | 12.5 | 2,575 |
| Troll Masters | 1999 | 22 | 16.5 | 2,605 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Joel Benjamin (28 games) · Dmitry Gurevich (23 games) · Sergey Kudrin (18 games) · John Fedorowicz (15 games) · Alexander Ivanov (14 games) · Gregory Kaidanov (13 games) · Maxim Dlugy (12 games) · Alexander Shabalov (12 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,742 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Nick De Firmian's chess games?
1,742 games by Nick De Firmian, 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 Nick De Firmian has played.
What does Nick De Firmian play on the first move as White?
Across 885 games with White in our database, Nick De Firmian opens with 1.e4 (95% of games), 1.d4 (4% of games), 1.Nf3 (0% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Nick De Firmian answers 1...c5 (94% of games), 1...Nf6 (6% of games), 1...e5 (0% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (97% of games), 1...e6 (2% of games), 1...d5 (1% of games).
What openings does Nick De Firmian play as White?
As White, Nick De Firmian's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (139 games, 51.1% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (82 games, 34.1% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (74 games, 45.9% win rate). The full breakdown of 885 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Nick De Firmian play as Black?
As Black, Nick De Firmian most often plays: Sicilian: Najdorf (183 games, 38.8% win rate); Benoni Defense (124 games, 28.2% win rate); English Opening: Symmetrical (80 games, 37.5% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 857 games.
What is Nick De Firmian's FIDE rating?
Nick De Firmian is currently rated 2,369 in classical chess, 2,468 in rapid and 2,387 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,560 (Apr 2006).
How many games has Nick De Firmian played?
Our database contains 1,742 games by Nick De Firmian, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 707 wins, 718 draws, 316 losses (40.6% win rate).
How do I prepare against Nick De Firmian?
1,742 games by Nick De Firmian 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.