Prepare against Pavel Ponkratov
GM · Russia · World #349 classical · FIDE ID 4157800
When preparing against Pavel Ponkratov, expect 1.e4 in 47% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (39% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (80%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Slav Defense as Black, 30.0% over 70 games.
Our database contains 3,851 games by Pavel Ponkratov, covering Apr 2003 to Oct 2026. Below you'll find Pavel Ponkratov's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Pavel Ponkratov 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 | 2,540 | 2,662 | Nov 2021 |
| Rapid | 2,496 | 2,737 | Mar 2018 |
| Blitz | 2,524 | 2,705 | Sep 2016 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3,851 | 1,929 | 1,034 | 888 | 50.1% |
| As White | 1,941 | 1,064 | 489 | 388 | 54.8% |
| As Black | 1,910 | 865 | 545 | 500 | 45.3% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Pavel Ponkratov's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Pavel Ponkratov's side.
First moves as White (1,941 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 917 | 47.2% | 68.6% |
| d4 | 542 | 27.9% | 67.5% |
| c4 | 202 | 10.4% | 67.6% |
| Nf3 | 202 | 10.4% | 61.9% |
| g3 | 50 | 2.6% | 69.0% |
| Nc3 | 14 | 0.7% | 53.6% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 47% of White games, 68.6% score
- …c5 (43% of these games) — Ponkratov usually continues Nf3 (70.8% score)
- …e5 (28% of these games) — Ponkratov usually continues Nf3 (64.0% score)
- …e6 (11% of these games) — Ponkratov usually continues d4 (74.2% score)
- 1.d4 — 28% of White games, 67.5% score
- …Nf6 (64% of these games) — Ponkratov usually continues c4 (65.2% score)
- …d5 (27% of these games) — Ponkratov usually continues c4 (66.2% score)
- …e6 (3% of these games) — Ponkratov usually continues c4 (75.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (821 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 318 | 38.7% | 64.3% |
| e6 | 206 | 25.1% | 54.6% |
| c5 | 181 | 22.0% | 64.1% |
| g6 | 46 | 5.6% | 58.7% |
| d6 | 23 | 2.8% | 63.0% |
| d5 | 22 | 2.7% | 63.6% |
As Black against 1.d4 (714 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 572 | 80.1% | 60.4% |
| d5 | 80 | 11.2% | 51.2% |
| e6 | 51 | 7.1% | 47.1% |
| c5 | 5 | 0.7% | 40.0% |
| d6 | 4 | 0.6% | 75.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 0.1% | 50.0% |
Pavel Ponkratov's chess games
All 3,851 games by Pavel Ponkratov in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Oct 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: 1,929 wins, 1,034 draws, 888 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B55 | Sicilian | 175 | 101/48/26 | 57.7% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 108 | 53/31/24 | 49.1% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 87 | 40/26/21 | 46.0% |
| A13 | English Opening | 87 | 46/23/18 | 52.9% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 79 | 50/12/17 | 63.3% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 79 | 50/18/11 | 63.3% |
| D11 | Slav Defense | 75 | 42/17/16 | 56.0% |
| A21 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 69 | 31/15/23 | 44.9% |
| E04 | Catalan | 49 | 28/18/3 | 57.1% |
| E20 | Nimzo-Indian Defense | 35 | 20/7/8 | 57.1% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A46 | Indian Defense | 130 | 60/40/30 | 46.2% |
| A61 | Benoni Defense | 122 | 58/27/37 | 47.5% |
| A33 | English Opening | 95 | 36/35/24 | 37.9% |
| B27 | Sicilian | 80 | 46/15/19 | 57.5% |
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 73 | 30/18/25 | 41.1% |
| A04 | Réti Opening | 70 | 31/17/22 | 44.3% |
| D11 | Slav Defense | 70 | 21/27/22 | 30.0% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 57 | 26/17/14 | 45.6% |
| A62 | Catalan | 53 | 20/17/16 | 37.7% |
| C55 | Italian Game | 52 | 30/16/6 | 57.7% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2024 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,804 | Chessable Masters Play In | E42 |
| Oct 2015 | Viswanathan Anand | 2,803 | Wch Rapid | C18 |
| Jul 2020 | Alexander Grischuk | 2,777 | Titled Tue | D38 |
| Apr 2022 | Ian Nepomniachtchi | 2,773 | Chess.com Rapid Wk9 Swiss | C30 |
| Oct 2020 | Wesley So | 2,770 | Speed Chess Super Swiss KO | B06 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2023 | 328 | 221 | 2,574 |
| Wch Blitz | 2023 | 125 | 66.5 | 2,599 |
| Wch Rapid | 2023 | 114 | 65 | 2,661 |
| ch-EU blitz | 2017 | 68 | 48.5 | 2,629 |
| ch-RUS blitz | 2019 | 66 | 45.5 | 2,700 |
| Moscow Open A | 2016 | 42 | 28.5 | 2,631 |
| Cheliabinsk Kurnosov Memorial Rapid | 2021 | 39 | 26 | 2,570 |
| ch-RUS rapid | 2019 | 38 | 24.5 | 2,610 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Vladislav Artemiev (32 games) · Dmitry Bocharov (29 games) · Maxim Matlakov (28 games) · Maksim Chigaev (27 games) · Alexey Sarana (27 games) · Dmitry Kokarev (25 games) · Nikita Matinian (24 games) · Daniil Dubov (23 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 3,851 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Pavel Ponkratov's chess games?
3,851 games by Pavel Ponkratov, from Apr 2003 to Oct 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 Pavel Ponkratov has played.
What does Pavel Ponkratov play on the first move as White?
Across 1,941 games with White in our database, Pavel Ponkratov opens with 1.e4 (47% of games), 1.d4 (28% of games), 1.c4 (10% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Pavel Ponkratov answers 1...e5 (39% of games), 1...e6 (25% of games), 1...c5 (22% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (80% of games), 1...d5 (11% of games), 1...e6 (7% of games).
What openings does Pavel Ponkratov play as White?
As White, Pavel Ponkratov's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (175 games, 57.7% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (108 games, 49.1% win rate); Réti Opening (87 games, 46.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,941 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Pavel Ponkratov play as Black?
As Black, Pavel Ponkratov most often plays: Indian Defense (130 games, 46.2% win rate); Benoni Defense (122 games, 47.5% win rate); English Opening (95 games, 37.9% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,910 games.
What is Pavel Ponkratov's FIDE rating?
Pavel Ponkratov is currently rated 2,540 in classical chess, 2,496 in rapid and 2,524 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,662 (Nov 2021).
How many games has Pavel Ponkratov played?
Our database contains 3,851 games by Pavel Ponkratov, covering Apr 2003 to Oct 2026. Overall record: 1,929 wins, 1,034 draws, 888 losses (50.1% win rate).
How do I prepare against Pavel Ponkratov?
3,851 games by Pavel Ponkratov 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.