Prepare against Nikola Topalov
North Macedonia · World #346,477 classical · FIDE ID 15003566
Our database contains 66 games by Nikola Topalov, covering May 2014 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Nikola Topalov's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Nikola Topalov 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 | 1,633 | 1,668 | Nov 2024 |
| Rapid | 1,514 | 1,639 | Mar 2024 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 66 | 14 | 11 | 41 | 21.2% |
| As White | 31 | 8 | 4 | 19 | 25.8% |
| As Black | 35 | 6 | 7 | 22 | 17.1% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Nikola Topalov's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Nikola Topalov's side.
First moves as White (31 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 25 | 80.6% | 32.0% |
| d4 | 6 | 19.4% | 33.3% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 81% of White games, 32.0% score
- …c5 (56% of these games) — Topalov usually continues Nf3 (17.9% score)
- …e5 (20% of these games) — Topalov usually continues Nf3 (60.0% score)
- …d5 (8% of these games) — Topalov usually continues exd5 (25.0% score)
- 1.d4 — 19% of White games, 33.3% score
- …d5 (67% of these games) — Topalov usually continues c4 (25.0% score)
- …Nf6 (33% of these games) — Topalov usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (23 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 19 | 82.6% | 23.7% |
| e5 | 2 | 8.7% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 4.3% | 100.0% |
| c6 | 1 | 4.3% | 0.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (8 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 5 | 62.5% | 20.0% |
| Nf6 | 3 | 37.5% | 0.0% |
Nikola Topalov's chess games
All 66 games by Nikola Topalov in the Chess.ceo database (May 2014 - Jul 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: 14 wins, 11 draws, 41 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B56 | Sicilian | 7 | 1/1/5 | 14.3% |
| B70 | Sicilian: Dragon | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| C56 | Italian Game | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| E60 | King's Indian Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| C15 | French: Winawer Variation | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| D30 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| C66 | Ruy Lopez | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| D06 | Queen's Gambit | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 6 | 1/1/4 | 16.7% |
| B20 | Sicilian | 6 | 2/1/3 | 33.3% |
| A21 | Modern Defense | 2 | 2/0/0 | 100.0% |
| D10 | Slav Defense | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| B14 | English Opening | 2 | 0/2/0 | 0.0% |
| B52 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| C77 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
| C50 | Scotch Game | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Closed | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | Ahmet Unal Gurel | 2,038 | Skopje Karposh Open | D31 |
| Apr 2012 | Done Gjeorgjievski | 1,829 | Skopje Karposh Open | A31 |
| Dec 2018 | Leonid Petreski | 1,346 | ch-FRM Open | B34 |
| Dec 2018 | Andrei Kalin | 1,203 | ch-FRM Open | B72 |
| Dec 2018 | Krste Lazarov | 1,167 | ch-FRM Open | C15 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-FRM Open | 2023 | 26 | 9 | 1,554 |
| Skopje Karposh Open | 2015 | 26 | 6 | 1,739 |
| Skopje Open B | 2023 | 8 | 3.5 | 1,445 |
| ch-Skopje Seniors | 2022 | 6 | 1 | 1,421 |
Interactive opening tree from all 66 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Nikola Topalov's chess games?
66 games by Nikola Topalov, from May 2014 to Jul 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 Topalov has played.
What does Nikola Topalov play on the first move as White?
Across 31 games with White in our database, Nikola Topalov opens with 1.e4 (81% of games), 1.d4 (19% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Nikola Topalov answers 1...c5 (83% of games), 1...e5 (9% of games), 1...g6 (4% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (63% of games), 1...Nf6 (38% of games).
What openings does Nikola Topalov play as White?
As White, Nikola Topalov's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (7 games, 14.3% win rate); Sicilian: Dragon (2 games, 50.0% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (2 games, 0.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 31 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Nikola Topalov play as Black?
As Black, Nikola Topalov most often plays: Sicilian: Najdorf (6 games, 16.7% win rate); Sicilian (6 games, 33.3% win rate); Modern Defense (2 games, 100.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 35 games.
What is Nikola Topalov's FIDE rating?
Nikola Topalov is currently rated 1,633 in classical chess, 1,514 in rapid. Peak classical rating: 1,668 (Nov 2024).
How many games has Nikola Topalov played?
Our database contains 66 games by Nikola Topalov, covering May 2014 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 14 wins, 11 draws, 41 losses (21.2% win rate).
How do I prepare against Nikola Topalov?
66 games by Nikola Topalov 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.