Prepare against Paul Motwani
GM · United Kingdom · World #1,696 classical · FIDE ID 2400022
When preparing against Paul Motwani, expect 1.e4 in 72% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (36% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (42%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: French: Tarrasch Variation as Black, 18.8% over 16 games.
Our database contains 926 games by Paul Motwani, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Paul Motwani's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Paul Motwani 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 | 2,399 | 2,552 | Jul 2004 |
| Rapid | 2,404 | 2,409 | Aug 2023 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 926 | 362 | 401 | 163 | 39.1% |
| As White | 478 | 214 | 190 | 74 | 44.8% |
| As Black | 448 | 148 | 211 | 89 | 33.0% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Paul Motwani's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Paul Motwani's side.
First moves as White (478 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 343 | 71.8% | 64.6% |
| d4 | 70 | 14.6% | 59.3% |
| Nf3 | 39 | 8.2% | 78.2% |
| c4 | 21 | 4.4% | 64.3% |
| g3 | 4 | 0.8% | 50.0% |
| b3 | 1 | 0.2% | 0.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 72% of White games, 64.6% score
- …c5 (47% of these games) — Motwani usually continues Nf3 (56.9% score)
- …e5 (19% of these games) — Motwani usually continues Nf3 (56.1% score)
- …e6 (12% of these games) — Motwani usually continues d4 (73.2% score)
- 1.d4 — 15% of White games, 59.3% score
- …Nf6 (70% of these games) — Motwani usually continues c4 (53.8% score)
- …d5 (11% of these games) — Motwani usually continues c4 (58.3% score)
- …d6 (7% of these games) — Motwani usually continues e4 (70.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (198 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 72 | 36.4% | 52.1% |
| c5 | 41 | 20.7% | 62.2% |
| e6 | 37 | 18.7% | 45.9% |
| d6 | 19 | 9.6% | 68.4% |
| g6 | 12 | 6.1% | 75.0% |
| c6 | 8 | 4.0% | 68.8% |
As Black against 1.d4 (163 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 68 | 41.7% | 55.9% |
| e6 | 40 | 24.5% | 57.5% |
| d5 | 29 | 17.8% | 58.6% |
| f5 | 10 | 6.1% | 40.0% |
| g6 | 7 | 4.3% | 50.0% |
| d6 | 7 | 4.3% | 57.1% |
Paul Motwani's chess games
All 926 games by Paul Motwani in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - 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: 362 wins, 401 draws, 163 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B20 | Sicilian | 47 | 17/18/12 | 36.2% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 34 | 11/17/6 | 32.4% |
| C26 | Vienna Game | 29 | 21/5/3 | 72.4% |
| B07 | Modern Defense | 26 | 14/8/4 | 53.8% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 20 | 11/6/3 | 55.0% |
| B31 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 19 | 4/11/4 | 21.1% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 17 | 7/5/5 | 41.2% |
| C05 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 14 | 7/7/0 | 50.0% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 14 | 11/3/0 | 78.6% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 14 | 10/2/2 | 71.4% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B42 | Sicilian | 29 | 12/10/7 | 41.4% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 27 | 7/15/5 | 25.9% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 27 | 13/9/5 | 48.1% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 23 | 10/8/5 | 43.5% |
| D05 | Indian Defense | 19 | 9/7/3 | 47.4% |
| B09 | Pirc Defense | 17 | 10/5/2 | 58.8% |
| C09 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 16 | 3/12/1 | 18.8% |
| D17 | Slav Defense | 16 | 4/9/3 | 25.0% |
| A40 | Horwitz Defense | 15 | 7/7/1 | 46.7% |
| D33 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 13 | 6/4/3 | 46.2% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1994 | Michael Adams | 2,640 | Olympiad-31 | B07 |
| Nov 2000 | Ivan Sokolov | 2,611 | Olympiad-34 | C36 |
| Jan 1987 | Boris Spassky | 2,605 | Glasgow Simul | C31 |
| Jan 1995 | Simen Agdestein | 2,600 | Isle of Lewis | E34 |
| Nov 2002 | Boris Gulko | 2,594 | Olympiad-35 | A30 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-SCO | 2009 | 72 | 55 | 2,531 |
| ch-BCF | 2024 | 53 | 32.5 | 2,443 |
| London WFW | 1990 | 37 | 18 | 2,471 |
| ch-EU U21 | 1981 | 26 | 13.5 | 2,377 |
| Sas van Gent | 1996 | 18 | 12 | 2,486 |
| Groningen Open | 1990 | 18 | 10 | 2,425 |
| Olympiad-35 | 2002 | 13 | 8 | 2,566 |
| Olympiad-34 | 2000 | 13 | 8.5 | 2,598 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Stephen R Mannion (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 926 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Paul Motwani's chess games?
926 games by Paul Motwani, from Apr 2003 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 Paul Motwani has played.
What does Paul Motwani play on the first move as White?
Across 478 games with White in our database, Paul Motwani opens with 1.e4 (72% of games), 1.d4 (15% of games), 1.Nf3 (8% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Paul Motwani answers 1...e5 (36% of games), 1...c5 (21% of games), 1...e6 (19% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (42% of games), 1...e6 (25% of games), 1...d5 (18% of games).
What openings does Paul Motwani play as White?
As White, Paul Motwani's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (47 games, 36.2% win rate); Sicilian: Alapin (34 games, 32.4% win rate); Vienna Game (29 games, 72.4% win rate). The full breakdown of 478 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Paul Motwani play as Black?
As Black, Paul Motwani most often plays: Sicilian (29 games, 41.4% win rate); Queen's Indian Defense (27 games, 25.9% win rate); English Opening: Reverse Sicilian (27 games, 48.1% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 448 games.
What is Paul Motwani's FIDE rating?
Paul Motwani is currently rated 2,399 in classical chess, 2,404 in rapid. Peak classical rating: 2,552 (Jul 2004).
How many games has Paul Motwani played?
Our database contains 926 games by Paul Motwani, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 362 wins, 401 draws, 163 losses (39.1% win rate).
How do I prepare against Paul Motwani?
926 games by Paul Motwani 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.