Prepare against Nihal Sarin
GM · India · World #25 classical · FIDE ID 25092340
When preparing against Nihal Sarin, expect 1.d4 in 40% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (35% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (58%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Queen's Gambit Declined as Black, 28.0% over 50 games.
Our database contains 4,297 games by Nihal Sarin, covering Jul 2011 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Nihal Sarin's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Nihal Sarin 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 | 2,718 | 2,723 | Jun 2026 |
| Rapid | 2,698 | 2,698 | Sep 2026 |
| Blitz | 2,721 | 2,723 | Jun 2026 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4,297 | 2,274 | 1,133 | 890 | 52.9% |
| As White | 2,176 | 1,249 | 567 | 360 | 57.4% |
| As Black | 2,121 | 1,025 | 566 | 530 | 48.3% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Nihal Sarin's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Nihal Sarin's side.
First moves as White (2,172 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 862 | 39.7% | 67.9% |
| e4 | 522 | 24.0% | 73.2% |
| Nf3 | 447 | 20.6% | 68.2% |
| c4 | 111 | 5.1% | 74.3% |
| b3 | 97 | 4.5% | 64.4% |
| a3 | 56 | 2.6% | 83.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 40% of White games, 67.9% score
- …Nf6 (64% of these games) — Sarin usually continues Nf3 (66.5% score)
- …d5 (27% of these games) — Sarin usually continues c4 (71.1% score)
- …e6 (3% of these games) — Sarin usually continues c4 (73.1% score)
- 1.e4 — 24% of White games, 73.2% score
- …e5 (40% of these games) — Sarin usually continues Nf3 (65.2% score)
- …c5 (38% of these games) — Sarin usually continues Nf3 (76.8% score)
- …e6 (8% of these games) — Sarin usually continues d4 (69.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (945 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 332 | 35.1% | 55.6% |
| c5 | 208 | 22.0% | 62.3% |
| c6 | 127 | 13.4% | 65.7% |
| g6 | 78 | 8.3% | 52.6% |
| e6 | 66 | 7.0% | 65.2% |
| a6 | 38 | 4.0% | 73.7% |
As Black against 1.d4 (800 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 463 | 57.9% | 60.7% |
| d5 | 203 | 25.4% | 59.1% |
| g6 | 36 | 4.5% | 65.3% |
| a6 | 28 | 3.5% | 76.8% |
| e6 | 20 | 2.5% | 62.5% |
| f5 | 12 | 1.5% | 75.0% |
Nihal Sarin's chess games
All 4,297 games by Nihal Sarin in the Chess.ceo database (Jul 2011 - 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: 2,274 wins, 1,133 draws, 890 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A06 | Réti Opening | 207 | 124/48/35 | 59.9% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 205 | 115/52/38 | 56.1% |
| D02 | London System | 124 | 63/38/23 | 50.8% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 115 | 64/35/16 | 55.7% |
| A01 | Nimzovich-Larsen attack | 96 | 55/15/26 | 57.3% |
| D45 | Slav Defense | 78 | 44/22/12 | 56.4% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 77 | 53/16/8 | 68.8% |
| A13 | English Opening | 60 | 36/19/5 | 60.0% |
| A00 | Anderssen's opening | 55 | 44/5/6 | 80.0% |
| E04 | Catalan | 45 | 25/14/6 | 55.6% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 173 | 80/54/39 | 46.2% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 132 | 71/14/47 | 53.8% |
| A04 | Réti Opening | 88 | 54/16/18 | 61.4% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 74 | 44/13/17 | 59.5% |
| E05 | Catalan | 72 | 30/24/18 | 41.7% |
| B40 | Sicilian | 63 | 38/12/13 | 60.3% |
| D02 | London System | 60 | 30/14/16 | 50.0% |
| C88 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 51 | 15/25/11 | 29.4% |
| D31 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 50 | 14/23/13 | 28.0% |
| D45 | Slav Defense | 49 | 19/23/7 | 38.8% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2021 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,847 | Carlsen-Challengers Simul | C77 |
| Oct 2025 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2,816 | Comet Open Titled Winners | C50 |
| Dec 2022 | Liren Ding | 2,811 | Speed Chess | D38 |
| Jun 2024 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,805 | Bullet Chess Winners | E91 |
| May 2023 | Ian Nepomniachtchi | 2,794 | Titled Tue Early | C30 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 1,403 | 1,076.5 | 2,675 |
| Speed Chess | 2022 | 151 | 84 | 2,820 |
| Junior Speed Qual | 2022 | 109 | 66 | 2,658 |
| Wch Blitz | 2023 | 103 | 62.5 | 2,705 |
| Chess.com U20 Speed | 2020 | 89 | 54 | 2,686 |
| Junior Speed Final | 2021 | 82 | 55.5 | 2,722 |
| Bullet Chess Winners | 2024 | 74 | 37.5 | 2,711 |
| Tata Steel India Blitz | 2026 | 72 | 37 | 2,728 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Andrew Tang (113 games) · Hikaru Nakamura (76 games) · Alexey Sarana (75 games) · Erigaisi Arjun (69 games) · Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (67 games) · Haik M. Martirosyan (64 games) · Wesley So (47 games) · Raunak Sadhwani (47 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 4,297 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Nihal Sarin's chess games?
4,297 games by Nihal Sarin, from Jul 2011 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 Nihal Sarin has played.
What does Nihal Sarin play on the first move as White?
Across 2,172 games with White in our database, Nihal Sarin opens with 1.d4 (40% of games), 1.e4 (24% of games), 1.Nf3 (21% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Nihal Sarin answers 1...e5 (35% of games), 1...c5 (22% of games), 1...c6 (13% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (58% of games), 1...d5 (25% of games), 1...g6 (5% of games).
What openings does Nihal Sarin play as White?
As White, Nihal Sarin's most-played openings in our database are: Réti Opening (207 games, 59.9% win rate); Indian Defense (205 games, 56.1% win rate); London System (124 games, 50.8% win rate). The full breakdown of 2,176 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Nihal Sarin play as Black?
As Black, Nihal Sarin most often plays: Indian Defense (173 games, 46.2% win rate); Modern Defense (132 games, 53.8% win rate); Réti Opening (88 games, 61.4% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 2,121 games.
What is Nihal Sarin's FIDE rating?
Nihal Sarin is currently rated 2,718 in classical chess, 2,698 in rapid and 2,721 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,723 (Jun 2026).
How many games has Nihal Sarin played?
Our database contains 4,297 games by Nihal Sarin, covering Jul 2011 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 2,274 wins, 1,133 draws, 890 losses (52.9% win rate).
How do I prepare against Nihal Sarin?
4,297 games by Nihal Sarin 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.