Prepare against Nikola Nikolovski
IM · North Macedonia · World #1,819 classical · FIDE ID 15002314
When preparing against Nikola Nikolovski, expect 1.e4 in 86% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (52% of games); against 1.d4, 1...e6 (48%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Benoni Defense as Black, 27.8% over 36 games.
Our database contains 973 games by Nikola Nikolovski, covering Jan 2010 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Nikola Nikolovski's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Nikola Nikolovski 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 | 2,393 | 2,454 | Apr 2021 |
| Rapid | 2,397 | 2,435 | Dec 2019 |
| Blitz | 2,406 | 2,422 | Dec 2024 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 973 | 432 | 234 | 307 | 44.4% |
| As White | 505 | 222 | 139 | 144 | 44.0% |
| As Black | 468 | 210 | 95 | 163 | 44.9% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Nikola Nikolovski's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Nikola Nikolovski's side.
First moves as White (505 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 436 | 86.3% | 59.2% |
| f4 | 51 | 10.1% | 50.0% |
| d4 | 5 | 1.0% | 30.0% |
| c4 | 4 | 0.8% | 50.0% |
| b3 | 4 | 0.8% | 62.5% |
| d3 | 3 | 0.6% | 33.3% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 86% of White games, 59.2% score
- …c5 (41% of these games) — Nikolovski usually continues Nc3 (63.2% score)
- …e5 (20% of these games) — Nikolovski usually continues Nf3 (60.0% score)
- …c6 (11% of these games) — Nikolovski usually continues d4 (56.4% score)
- 1.f4 — 10% of White games, 50.0% score
- …d5 (51% of these games) — Nikolovski usually continues Nf3 (42.5% score)
- …g6 (14% of these games) — Nikolovski usually continues Nf3 (35.7% score)
- …c5 (12% of these games) — Nikolovski usually continues Nf3 (41.7% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (219 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 113 | 51.6% | 54.9% |
| e6 | 67 | 30.6% | 55.2% |
| d5 | 28 | 12.8% | 53.6% |
| e5 | 5 | 2.3% | 30.0% |
| c6 | 4 | 1.8% | 87.5% |
| g6 | 2 | 0.9% | 75.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (165 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 80 | 48.5% | 58.8% |
| Nf6 | 57 | 34.5% | 47.4% |
| f5 | 13 | 7.9% | 65.4% |
| d5 | 11 | 6.7% | 36.4% |
| c5 | 3 | 1.8% | 66.7% |
Nikola Nikolovski's chess games
All 973 games by Nikola Nikolovski in the Chess.ceo database (Jan 2010 - 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: 432 wins, 234 draws, 307 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 115 | 62/22/31 | 53.9% |
| A03 | Bird's opening | 51 | 19/13/19 | 37.3% |
| C56 | Italian Game | 37 | 19/10/8 | 51.4% |
| B21 | Sicilian | 32 | 11/5/16 | 34.4% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 29 | 11/10/8 | 37.9% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 22 | 8/5/9 | 36.4% |
| C00 | French Defense | 20 | 14/3/3 | 70.0% |
| C54 | Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo | 16 | 7/4/5 | 43.8% |
| B07 | Philidor | 14 | 6/5/3 | 42.9% |
| C45 | Scotch Game | 13 | 4/5/4 | 30.8% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A96 | Horwitz Defense | 66 | 36/10/20 | 54.5% |
| B66 | Sicilian | 47 | 24/12/11 | 51.1% |
| A61 | Benoni Defense | 36 | 10/11/15 | 27.8% |
| B76 | Sicilian: Dragon | 34 | 12/8/14 | 35.3% |
| A04 | Dutch Defense | 33 | 19/8/6 | 57.6% |
| C06 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 30 | 14/4/12 | 46.7% |
| B01 | Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation | 20 | 7/5/8 | 35.0% |
| C16 | French: Winawer Variation | 19 | 6/3/10 | 31.6% |
| C01 | French: Exchange Variation | 11 | 9/1/1 | 81.8% |
| E14 | Indian Defense | 11 | 1/4/6 | 9.1% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2021 | Evgeniy Najer | 2,648 | Titled Tue | A99 |
| Oct 2024 | Volodar Murzin | 2,648 | 39th ECC Open | B20 |
| Dec 2020 | Igor Kovalenko | 2,643 | ch-EUR qual Online | B23 |
| Mar 2021 | Maxime Lagarde | 2,640 | Cappelle Online Blitz Open | B23 |
| Dec 2024 | Alan Pichot | 2,637 | European Rapid 2024 | B01 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-FRM Open | 2024 | 63 | 45.5 | 2,312 |
| Skopje Karposh Open | 2018 | 60 | 31 | 2,259 |
| Titled Tuesday | 2021 | 56 | 33 | 2,392 |
| Skopje Open | 2024 | 35 | 21 | 2,210 |
| ch-Skopje Open | 2015 | 19 | 10 | 2,110 |
| ch-FRM | 2019 | 18 | 12 | 2,441 |
| Cappelle Online Bullet Open | 2021 | 15 | 9 | 2,270 |
| chT-FRM | 2019 | 14 | 10 | 2,455 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Zvonko Stanojoski (11 games) · Filip Pancevski (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 973 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Nikola Nikolovski's chess games?
973 games by Nikola Nikolovski, from Jan 2010 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 Nikola Nikolovski has played.
What does Nikola Nikolovski play on the first move as White?
Across 505 games with White in our database, Nikola Nikolovski opens with 1.e4 (86% of games), 1.f4 (10% of games), 1.d4 (1% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Nikola Nikolovski answers 1...c5 (52% of games), 1...e6 (31% of games), 1...d5 (13% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...e6 (48% of games), 1...Nf6 (35% of games), 1...f5 (8% of games).
What openings does Nikola Nikolovski play as White?
As White, Nikola Nikolovski's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian: Closed (115 games, 53.9% win rate); Bird's opening (51 games, 37.3% win rate); Italian Game (37 games, 51.4% win rate). The full breakdown of 505 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Nikola Nikolovski play as Black?
As Black, Nikola Nikolovski most often plays: Horwitz Defense (66 games, 54.5% win rate); Sicilian (47 games, 51.1% win rate); Benoni Defense (36 games, 27.8% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 468 games.
What is Nikola Nikolovski's FIDE rating?
Nikola Nikolovski is currently rated 2,393 in classical chess, 2,397 in rapid and 2,406 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,454 (Apr 2021).
How many games has Nikola Nikolovski played?
Our database contains 973 games by Nikola Nikolovski, covering Jan 2010 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 432 wins, 234 draws, 307 losses (44.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against Nikola Nikolovski?
973 games by Nikola Nikolovski 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.