Prepare against Pa Iniyan
GM · India · World #177 classical · FIDE ID 25002767
When preparing against Pa Iniyan, expect 1.d4 in 68% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (72% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (89%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Semi-Slav Defense as White, 28.2% over 39 games.
Our database contains 2,409 games by Pa Iniyan, covering Sep 2009 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Pa Iniyan's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Pa Iniyan 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 | 2,591 | 2,609 | Aug 2026 |
| Rapid | 2,463 | 2,463 | Sep 2026 |
| Blitz | 2,440 | 2,509 | Aug 2022 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,409 | 1,281 | 564 | 564 | 53.2% |
| As White | 1,215 | 699 | 274 | 242 | 57.5% |
| As Black | 1,194 | 582 | 290 | 322 | 48.7% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Pa Iniyan's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Pa Iniyan's side.
First moves as White (1,215 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 831 | 68.4% | 69.0% |
| e4 | 129 | 10.6% | 64.3% |
| c4 | 82 | 6.7% | 65.2% |
| Nf3 | 71 | 5.8% | 70.4% |
| b3 | 43 | 3.5% | 77.9% |
| b4 | 23 | 1.9% | 67.4% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 68% of White games, 69.0% score
- …Nf6 (59% of these games) — Iniyan usually continues c4 (68.6% score)
- …d5 (31% of these games) — Iniyan usually continues c4 (69.9% score)
- …e6 (3% of these games) — Iniyan usually continues c4 (61.1% score)
- 1.e4 — 11% of White games, 64.3% score
- …c5 (38% of these games) — Iniyan usually continues Nf3 (73.4% score)
- …e5 (24% of these games) — Iniyan usually continues Nf3 (56.5% score)
- …c6 (18% of these games) — Iniyan usually continues d4 (64.7% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (514 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 371 | 72.2% | 61.6% |
| e5 | 55 | 10.7% | 66.4% |
| d6 | 22 | 4.3% | 63.6% |
| g6 | 20 | 3.9% | 70.0% |
| c6 | 16 | 3.1% | 62.5% |
| e6 | 12 | 2.3% | 58.3% |
As Black against 1.d4 (448 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 397 | 88.6% | 58.6% |
| d5 | 26 | 5.8% | 65.4% |
| d6 | 8 | 1.8% | 75.0% |
| g6 | 7 | 1.6% | 50.0% |
| f5 | 5 | 1.1% | 60.0% |
| c5 | 2 | 0.4% | 50.0% |
Pa Iniyan's chess games
All 2,409 games by Pa Iniyan in the Chess.ceo database (Sep 2009 - 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: 1,281 wins, 564 draws, 564 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 130 | 67/35/28 | 51.5% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 97 | 54/28/15 | 55.7% |
| E48 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 73 | 35/26/12 | 47.9% |
| D31 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 55 | 36/12/7 | 65.5% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 44 | 31/8/5 | 70.5% |
| A01 | Nimzovich-Larsen attack | 43 | 32/3/8 | 74.4% |
| A65 | Benoni Defense | 39 | 28/7/4 | 71.8% |
| D43 | Semi-Slav Defense | 39 | 11/18/10 | 28.2% |
| D38 | Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense | 36 | 17/8/11 | 47.2% |
| E81 | King's Indian: Sämisch | 33 | 17/7/9 | 51.5% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 177 | 97/39/41 | 54.8% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 85 | 37/18/30 | 43.5% |
| A48 | Indian Defense | 72 | 33/16/23 | 45.8% |
| A06 | Réti Opening | 61 | 32/17/12 | 52.5% |
| E71 | King's Indian Defense | 53 | 22/15/16 | 41.5% |
| E97 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 53 | 26/11/16 | 49.1% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 51 | 28/13/10 | 54.9% |
| A15 | English Opening | 43 | 17/15/11 | 39.5% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 36 | 13/13/10 | 36.1% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 31 | 16/7/8 | 51.6% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,840 | Titled Tue | A00 |
| Aug 2020 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,835 | Titled Tue | C96 |
| Nov 2024 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2,802 | Titled Tue Early | A00 |
| May 2023 | Anish Giri | 2,768 | ChessKid Cup Play In | B50 |
| Mar 2024 | Vladimir Kramnik | 2,753 | Titled Tue Early | D58 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 744 | 500 | 2,512 |
| World ol U16 | 2018 | 25 | 16 | 2,391 |
| ch-Commonwealth | 2024 | 22 | 14 | 2,338 |
| Junior Speed Qual 3 | 2022 | 21 | 11.5 | 2,538 |
| ch-IND U15 | 2015 | 20 | 15 | 2,279 |
| World Blitz 2025 | 2025 | 19 | 9 | 2,487 |
| FIDE World Cup AICF Qual | 2021 | 16 | 12.5 | 2,702 |
| MPL Indian Chess Tour N4 | 2022 | 15 | 7 | 2,523 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: S.P. Sethuraman (13 games) · Ahmad Ahmadzada (12 games) · Gata Kamsky (11 games) · Platon Galperin (11 games) · Alexey Sarana (11 games) · Garg Aradhya (11 games) · Dmitry Andreikin (10 games) · Guha Mitrabha (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,409 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Pa Iniyan's chess games?
2,409 games by Pa Iniyan, from Sep 2009 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 Pa Iniyan has played.
What does Pa Iniyan play on the first move as White?
Across 1,215 games with White in our database, Pa Iniyan opens with 1.d4 (68% of games), 1.e4 (11% of games), 1.c4 (7% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Pa Iniyan answers 1...c5 (72% of games), 1...e5 (11% of games), 1...d6 (4% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (89% of games), 1...d5 (6% of games), 1...d6 (2% of games).
What openings does Pa Iniyan play as White?
As White, Pa Iniyan's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (130 games, 51.5% win rate); Slav Defense (97 games, 55.7% win rate); Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System (73 games, 47.9% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,215 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Pa Iniyan play as Black?
As Black, Pa Iniyan most often plays: Sicilian: Najdorf (177 games, 54.8% win rate); Sicilian (85 games, 43.5% win rate); Indian Defense (72 games, 45.8% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,194 games.
What is Pa Iniyan's FIDE rating?
Pa Iniyan is currently rated 2,591 in classical chess, 2,463 in rapid and 2,440 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,609 (Aug 2026).
How many games has Pa Iniyan played?
Our database contains 2,409 games by Pa Iniyan, covering Sep 2009 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 1,281 wins, 564 draws, 564 losses (53.2% win rate).
How do I prepare against Pa Iniyan?
2,409 games by Pa Iniyan 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.