Prepare against Nikita Vitiugov
GM · United Kingdom · World #49 classical · FIDE ID 4152956
When preparing against Nikita Vitiugov, expect 1.d4 in 59% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (51% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (68%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Ruy Lopez: Closed as Black, 15.7% over 51 games.
Our database contains 2,553 games by Nikita Vitiugov, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Nikita Vitiugov's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Nikita Vitiugov 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 | 2,666 | 2,751 | Nov 2019 |
| Rapid | 2,616 | 2,752 | May 2013 |
| Blitz | 2,586 | 2,734 | Jun 2013 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,553 | 996 | 1,161 | 396 | 39.0% |
| As White | 1,303 | 583 | 552 | 168 | 44.7% |
| As Black | 1,250 | 413 | 609 | 228 | 33.0% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Nikita Vitiugov's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Nikita Vitiugov's side.
First moves as White (1,298 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 760 | 58.6% | 64.9% |
| e4 | 327 | 25.2% | 68.0% |
| c4 | 115 | 8.9% | 70.4% |
| Nf3 | 88 | 6.8% | 61.4% |
| b3 | 6 | 0.5% | 83.3% |
| g3 | 1 | 0.1% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 59% of White games, 64.9% score
- …Nf6 (62% of these games) — Vitiugov usually continues c4 (62.8% score)
- …d5 (29% of these games) — Vitiugov usually continues c4 (66.2% score)
- …e6 (3% of these games) — Vitiugov usually continues c4 (82.1% score)
- 1.e4 — 25% of White games, 68.0% score
- …e5 (36% of these games) — Vitiugov usually continues Nf3 (66.2% score)
- …c5 (33% of these games) — Vitiugov usually continues Nf3 (63.9% score)
- …e6 (12% of these games) — Vitiugov usually continues d4 (75.6% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (585 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 298 | 50.9% | 59.2% |
| e6 | 136 | 23.2% | 52.9% |
| e5 | 115 | 19.7% | 51.3% |
| c6 | 25 | 4.3% | 58.0% |
| g6 | 5 | 0.9% | 80.0% |
| Nf6 | 3 | 0.5% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (434 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 293 | 67.5% | 59.7% |
| d5 | 119 | 27.4% | 58.8% |
| f5 | 8 | 1.8% | 43.8% |
| e6 | 7 | 1.6% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 5 | 1.2% | 60.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.2% | 0.0% |
Nikita Vitiugov's chess games
All 2,553 games by Nikita Vitiugov 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: 996 wins, 1,161 draws, 396 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D15 | Slav Defense | 129 | 53/56/20 | 41.1% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 101 | 38/50/13 | 37.6% |
| A45 | Trompowsky Attack | 84 | 41/30/13 | 48.8% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 49 | 21/20/8 | 42.9% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 40 | 22/14/4 | 55.0% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 39 | 19/13/7 | 48.7% |
| B40 | Sicilian | 39 | 18/18/3 | 46.2% |
| E55 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 37 | 8/23/6 | 21.6% |
| C77 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 32 | 18/13/1 | 56.3% |
| E04 | Catalan | 31 | 7/23/1 | 22.6% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B42 | Sicilian | 149 | 56/58/35 | 37.6% |
| D45 | Slav Defense | 92 | 30/51/11 | 32.6% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 62 | 19/33/10 | 30.6% |
| B48 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 57 | 16/33/8 | 28.1% |
| E04 | Catalan | 54 | 11/38/5 | 20.4% |
| C84 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 51 | 8/33/10 | 15.7% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 42 | 14/20/8 | 33.3% |
| A09 | Réti Opening | 40 | 16/18/6 | 40.0% |
| C07 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 38 | 10/25/3 | 26.3% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 37 | 7/21/9 | 18.9% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2012 | Vassily Ivanchuk | 2,775 | 54th Reggio Emilia | E20 |
| Sep 2019 | Wesley So | 2,767 | FIDE World Cup | C43 |
| Dec 2018 | Ian Nepomniachtchi | 2,763 | Wch Blitz | C07 |
| Sep 2019 | Yangyi Yu | 2,763 | FIDE World Cup | C43 |
| Jan 2012 | Alexander Morozevich | 2,762 | 54th Reggio Emilia | A16 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2024 | 109 | 72 | 2,539 |
| FIDE World Cup | 2025 | 97 | 52.5 | 2,685 |
| Wch Rapid | 2019 | 88 | 49 | 2,645 |
| Wch Blitz | 2019 | 63 | 37.5 | 2,689 |
| ch-EU blitz | 2016 | 40 | 28.5 | 2,686 |
| ch-RUS U20 | 2007 | 33 | 20 | 2,555 |
| FIDE Grand Swiss | 2025 | 33 | 18.5 | 2,689 |
| 7th Wch Blitz | 2013 | 30 | 15.5 | 2,666 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Hans Moke Niemann (26 games) · Ernesto Inarkiev (22 games) · Yangyi Yu (22 games) · Alexander Morozevich (20 games) · Alexander Grischuk (18 games) · Maxim Matlakov (18 games) · Evgeniy Najer (17 games) · Vladislav Artemiev (17 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,553 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Nikita Vitiugov's chess games?
2,553 games by Nikita Vitiugov, 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 Nikita Vitiugov has played.
What does Nikita Vitiugov play on the first move as White?
Across 1,298 games with White in our database, Nikita Vitiugov opens with 1.d4 (59% of games), 1.e4 (25% of games), 1.c4 (9% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Nikita Vitiugov answers 1...c5 (51% of games), 1...e6 (23% of games), 1...e5 (20% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (68% of games), 1...d5 (27% of games), 1...f5 (2% of games).
What openings does Nikita Vitiugov play as White?
As White, Nikita Vitiugov's most-played openings in our database are: Slav Defense (129 games, 41.1% win rate); Indian Defense (101 games, 37.6% win rate); Trompowsky Attack (84 games, 48.8% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,303 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Nikita Vitiugov play as Black?
As Black, Nikita Vitiugov most often plays: Sicilian (149 games, 37.6% win rate); Slav Defense (92 games, 32.6% win rate); Indian Defense (62 games, 30.6% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,250 games.
What is Nikita Vitiugov's FIDE rating?
Nikita Vitiugov is currently rated 2,666 in classical chess, 2,616 in rapid and 2,586 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,751 (Nov 2019).
How many games has Nikita Vitiugov played?
Our database contains 2,553 games by Nikita Vitiugov, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 996 wins, 1,161 draws, 396 losses (39.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against Nikita Vitiugov?
2,553 games by Nikita Vitiugov 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.