Prepare against Pentala Harikrishna
GM · India · World #67 classical · FIDE ID 5007003
When preparing against Pentala Harikrishna, expect 1.d4 in 40% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (52% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (69%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: English Opening: Reverse Sicilian as Black, 16.0% over 50 games.
Our database contains 3,283 games by Pentala Harikrishna, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Pentala Harikrishna's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Pentala Harikrishna 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 | 2,648 | 2,770 | Dec 2016 |
| Rapid | 2,595 | 2,758 | Dec 2018 |
| Blitz | 2,620 | 2,774 | Apr 2016 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3,283 | 1,168 | 1,497 | 618 | 35.6% |
| As White | 1,655 | 715 | 701 | 239 | 43.2% |
| As Black | 1,628 | 453 | 796 | 379 | 27.8% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Pentala Harikrishna's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Pentala Harikrishna's side.
First moves as White (1,655 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 658 | 39.8% | 62.5% |
| e4 | 625 | 37.8% | 65.2% |
| Nf3 | 199 | 12.0% | 64.1% |
| c4 | 163 | 9.8% | 70.2% |
| g3 | 7 | 0.4% | 42.9% |
| b3 | 3 | 0.2% | 66.7% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 40% of White games, 62.5% score
- …Nf6 (67% of these games) — Harikrishna usually continues c4 (63.6% score)
- …d5 (25% of these games) — Harikrishna usually continues c4 (62.5% score)
- …d6 (2% of these games) — Harikrishna usually continues e4 (62.5% score)
- 1.e4 — 38% of White games, 65.2% score
- …e5 (43% of these games) — Harikrishna usually continues Nf3 (62.7% score)
- …c5 (35% of these games) — Harikrishna usually continues Nf3 (66.5% score)
- …e6 (8% of these games) — Harikrishna usually continues d4 (70.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (771 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 403 | 52.3% | 51.2% |
| c5 | 160 | 20.8% | 58.4% |
| e6 | 114 | 14.8% | 53.5% |
| c6 | 68 | 8.8% | 52.9% |
| d6 | 16 | 2.1% | 62.5% |
| g6 | 8 | 1.0% | 68.8% |
As Black against 1.d4 (579 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 397 | 68.6% | 53.3% |
| d5 | 163 | 28.2% | 46.6% |
| e6 | 13 | 2.2% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 3 | 0.5% | 83.3% |
| d6 | 2 | 0.3% | 25.0% |
| Nc6 | 1 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
Pentala Harikrishna's chess games
All 3,283 games by Pentala Harikrishna in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - 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: 1,168 wins, 1,497 draws, 618 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 139 | 53/67/19 | 38.1% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 112 | 43/50/19 | 38.4% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 105 | 57/31/17 | 54.3% |
| E05 | Catalan | 91 | 37/45/9 | 40.7% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 76 | 30/30/16 | 39.5% |
| C65 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 73 | 27/39/7 | 37.0% |
| A28 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 55 | 30/18/7 | 54.5% |
| A16 | English Opening | 51 | 22/21/8 | 43.1% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 47 | 17/23/7 | 36.2% |
| E14 | Queen's Indian Defense | 46 | 19/21/6 | 41.3% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D11 | Slav Defense | 122 | 20/73/29 | 16.4% |
| C95 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 112 | 25/62/25 | 22.3% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 88 | 27/35/26 | 30.7% |
| E05 | Catalan | 81 | 20/45/16 | 24.7% |
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 63 | 14/36/13 | 22.2% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 58 | 23/23/12 | 39.7% |
| B40 | Sicilian | 51 | 26/18/7 | 51.0% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 50 | 8/27/15 | 16.0% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 50 | 15/21/14 | 30.0% |
| B48 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 49 | 14/21/14 | 28.6% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2020 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,863 | Saint Louis Blitz | B50 |
| Dec 2022 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,847 | Wch Blitz | E29 |
| Nov 2018 | Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | 2,817 | Tata Steel India Rapid | B12 |
| Jun 2014 | Levon Aronian | 2,815 | 8th Wch Blitz | E60 |
| Dec 2014 | Alexander Grischuk | 2,810 | Beijing Sportaccord Blitz | A45 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 136 | 90.5 | 2,534 |
| Wch Blitz | 2022 | 75 | 41.5 | 2,635 |
| Wch Rapid | 2022 | 70 | 38 | 2,636 |
| FIDE World Cup | 2025 | 61 | 34 | 2,659 |
| ch-IND | 2003 | 54 | 33 | 2,518 |
| Tata Steel India blitz | 2023 | 54 | 23 | 2,681 |
| chT-ESP CECLUB Honor | 2022 | 42 | 24.5 | 2,741 |
| ch-Commonwealth | 2004 | 38 | 24 | 2,525 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Hikaru Nakamura (48 games) · Fabiano Caruana (48 games) · Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (41 games) · David Navara (38 games) · Levon Aronian (32 games) · Anish Giri (31 games) · Radoslaw Wojtaszek (30 games) · Leinier Dominguez Perez (30 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 3,283 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Pentala Harikrishna's chess games?
3,283 games by Pentala Harikrishna, from Apr 2003 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 Pentala Harikrishna has played.
What does Pentala Harikrishna play on the first move as White?
Across 1,655 games with White in our database, Pentala Harikrishna opens with 1.d4 (40% of games), 1.e4 (38% of games), 1.Nf3 (12% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Pentala Harikrishna answers 1...e5 (52% of games), 1...c5 (21% of games), 1...e6 (15% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (69% of games), 1...d5 (28% of games), 1...e6 (2% of games).
What openings does Pentala Harikrishna play as White?
As White, Pentala Harikrishna's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (139 games, 38.1% win rate); Slav Defense (112 games, 38.4% win rate); Sicilian (105 games, 54.3% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,655 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Pentala Harikrishna play as Black?
As Black, Pentala Harikrishna most often plays: Slav Defense (122 games, 16.4% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (112 games, 22.3% win rate); Indian Defense (88 games, 30.7% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,628 games.
What is Pentala Harikrishna's FIDE rating?
Pentala Harikrishna is currently rated 2,648 in classical chess, 2,595 in rapid and 2,620 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,770 (Dec 2016).
How many games has Pentala Harikrishna played?
Our database contains 3,283 games by Pentala Harikrishna, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 1,168 wins, 1,497 draws, 618 losses (35.6% win rate).
How do I prepare against Pentala Harikrishna?
3,283 games by Pentala Harikrishna 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.