Prepare against Peter Heine Nielsen
GM · DNK · World #126 classical · FIDE ID 1400355
When preparing against Peter Heine Nielsen, expect 1.d4 in 60% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (40% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (70%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Petrov's Defense as Black, 6.0% over 50 games.
Our database contains 2,165 games by Peter Heine Nielsen, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Peter Heine Nielsen's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Peter Heine Nielsen 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 | 2,614 | 2,700 | Jul 2010 |
| Rapid | 2,669 | 2,669 | Jul 2026 |
| Blitz | 2,546 | 2,654 | Jun 2014 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,165 | 793 | 994 | 378 | 36.6% |
| As White | 1,077 | 469 | 457 | 151 | 43.5% |
| As Black | 1,088 | 324 | 537 | 227 | 29.8% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Peter Heine Nielsen's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Peter Heine Nielsen's side.
First moves as White (1,077 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 641 | 59.5% | 65.8% |
| e4 | 219 | 20.3% | 64.8% |
| Nf3 | 110 | 10.2% | 61.8% |
| c4 | 90 | 8.4% | 65.0% |
| b3 | 9 | 0.8% | 16.7% |
| g3 | 4 | 0.4% | 62.5% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 60% of White games, 65.8% score
- …Nf6 (55% of these games) — Nielsen usually continues c4 (65.5% score)
- …d5 (30% of these games) — Nielsen usually continues c4 (66.0% score)
- …e6 (5% of these games) — Nielsen usually continues c4 (66.7% score)
- 1.e4 — 20% of White games, 64.8% score
- …c5 (44% of these games) — Nielsen usually continues Nf3 (61.5% score)
- …e5 (26% of these games) — Nielsen usually continues Nf3 (68.2% score)
- …e6 (12% of these games) — Nielsen usually continues d4 (67.4% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (454 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 183 | 40.3% | 47.8% |
| c5 | 174 | 38.3% | 62.4% |
| c6 | 59 | 13.0% | 56.8% |
| e6 | 19 | 4.2% | 71.1% |
| d5 | 10 | 2.2% | 65.0% |
| g6 | 5 | 1.1% | 40.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (419 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 294 | 70.2% | 49.1% |
| d5 | 87 | 20.8% | 56.9% |
| e6 | 24 | 5.7% | 60.4% |
| g6 | 7 | 1.7% | 42.9% |
| f5 | 3 | 0.7% | 66.7% |
| c6 | 2 | 0.5% | 0.0% |
Peter Heine Nielsen's chess games
All 2,165 games by Peter Heine Nielsen 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: 793 wins, 994 draws, 378 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D17 | Slav Defense | 132 | 54/62/16 | 40.9% |
| E04 | Catalan | 83 | 36/39/8 | 43.4% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 79 | 29/40/10 | 36.7% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 65 | 29/22/14 | 44.6% |
| A17 | English Opening | 53 | 23/22/8 | 43.4% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 44 | 14/22/8 | 31.8% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 38 | 20/12/6 | 52.6% |
| B42 | Sicilian | 37 | 10/19/8 | 27.0% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 28 | 16/7/5 | 57.1% |
| A34 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 25 | 7/14/4 | 28.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 98 | 17/60/21 | 17.3% |
| D45 | Slav Defense | 73 | 27/33/13 | 37.0% |
| A37 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 52 | 17/26/9 | 32.7% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 50 | 3/34/13 | 6.0% |
| B80 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 46 | 19/19/8 | 41.3% |
| B40 | Sicilian | 38 | 16/11/11 | 42.1% |
| E05 | Catalan | 34 | 7/20/7 | 20.6% |
| A34 | English Opening | 33 | 11/20/2 | 33.3% |
| E46 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 32 | 6/17/9 | 18.8% |
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 31 | 7/13/11 | 22.6% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2006 | Veselin Topalov | 2,801 | 15th Amber Rapid | E01 |
| Dec 2011 | Vassily Ivanchuk | 2,775 | Beijing Sportaccord Rapid | A40 |
| Dec 2011 | Sergey Karjakin | 2,763 | Beijing Sportaccord Blindfold | B78 |
| Sep 2011 | Vugar Gashimov | 2,760 | FIDE World Cup | D94 |
| Mar 2006 | Levon Aronian | 2,752 | 15th Amber Rapid | A31 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-DEN | 2008 | 129 | 82 | 2,553 |
| ch-EU blitz | 2002 | 37 | 24.5 | 2,652 |
| Arnold Cup | 1993 | 35 | 18 | 2,356 |
| ch-EU Internet final | 2004 | 27 | 18 | 2,778 |
| Minsk | 1996 | 22 | 12.5 | 2,552 |
| 8th Wch Blitz | 2014 | 21 | 10 | 2,522 |
| 9th Wch Blitz | 2015 | 21 | 9 | 2,427 |
| FIDE World Cup | 2011 | 20 | 11.5 | 2,736 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Lars Schandorff (26 games) · Sune Berg Hansen (25 games) · Erling Mortensen (22 games) · Jonny Hector (22 games) · Curt Hansen (19 games) · Henrik Danielsen (19 games) · Carsten Hoi (15 games) · Nigel D Short (13 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,165 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Peter Heine Nielsen's chess games?
2,165 games by Peter Heine Nielsen, 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 Peter Heine Nielsen has played.
What does Peter Heine Nielsen play on the first move as White?
Across 1,077 games with White in our database, Peter Heine Nielsen opens with 1.d4 (60% of games), 1.e4 (20% of games), 1.Nf3 (10% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Peter Heine Nielsen answers 1...e5 (40% of games), 1...c5 (38% of games), 1...c6 (13% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (70% of games), 1...d5 (21% of games), 1...e6 (6% of games).
What openings does Peter Heine Nielsen play as White?
As White, Peter Heine Nielsen's most-played openings in our database are: Slav Defense (132 games, 40.9% win rate); Catalan (83 games, 43.4% win rate); Indian Defense (79 games, 36.7% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,077 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Peter Heine Nielsen play as Black?
As Black, Peter Heine Nielsen most often plays: Indian Defense (98 games, 17.3% win rate); Slav Defense (73 games, 37.0% win rate); English Opening: Symmetrical (52 games, 32.7% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,088 games.
What is Peter Heine Nielsen's FIDE rating?
Peter Heine Nielsen is currently rated 2,614 in classical chess, 2,669 in rapid and 2,546 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,700 (Jul 2010).
How many games has Peter Heine Nielsen played?
Our database contains 2,165 games by Peter Heine Nielsen, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 793 wins, 994 draws, 378 losses (36.6% win rate).
How do I prepare against Peter Heine Nielsen?
2,165 games by Peter Heine Nielsen 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.