Prepare against Praveen Balakrishnan
GM · United States · World #584 classical · FIDE ID 2064871
When preparing against Praveen Balakrishnan, expect 1.e4 in 54% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c6 (31% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (65%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Caro-Kann: Advance Variation as Black, 29.2% over 24 games.
Our database contains 1,092 games by Praveen Balakrishnan, covering May 2012 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Praveen Balakrishnan's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Praveen Balakrishnan 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 | 2,500 | 2,529 | Jan 2023 |
| Rapid | 2,403 | 2,427 | Dec 2017 |
| Blitz | 2,440 | 2,445 | Dec 2025 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,092 | 535 | 270 | 287 | 49.0% |
| As White | 545 | 278 | 132 | 135 | 51.0% |
| As Black | 547 | 257 | 138 | 152 | 47.0% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Praveen Balakrishnan's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Praveen Balakrishnan's side.
First moves as White (545 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 292 | 53.6% | 62.2% |
| d4 | 130 | 23.9% | 61.5% |
| Nf3 | 69 | 12.7% | 61.6% |
| c4 | 47 | 8.6% | 70.2% |
| b4 | 5 | 0.9% | 60.0% |
| f3 | 1 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 54% of White games, 62.2% score
- …c5 (38% of these games) — Balakrishnan usually continues Nf3 (58.4% score)
- …e5 (27% of these games) — Balakrishnan usually continues Nf3 (58.3% score)
- …e6 (15% of these games) — Balakrishnan usually continues d4 (71.4% score)
- 1.d4 — 24% of White games, 61.5% score
- …Nf6 (62% of these games) — Balakrishnan usually continues c4 (62.7% score)
- …d5 (27% of these games) — Balakrishnan usually continues c4 (64.8% score)
- …d6 (5% of these games) — Balakrishnan usually continues c4 (20.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (265 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c6 | 81 | 30.6% | 53.1% |
| e5 | 73 | 27.5% | 62.3% |
| c5 | 65 | 24.5% | 61.5% |
| g6 | 31 | 11.7% | 67.7% |
| e6 | 10 | 3.8% | 90.0% |
| d6 | 4 | 1.5% | 62.5% |
As Black against 1.d4 (196 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 127 | 64.8% | 55.9% |
| d5 | 36 | 18.4% | 68.1% |
| g6 | 27 | 13.8% | 57.4% |
| e6 | 6 | 3.1% | 91.7% |
Praveen Balakrishnan's chess games
All 1,092 games by Praveen Balakrishnan in the Chess.ceo database (May 2012 - 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: 535 wins, 270 draws, 287 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A04 | Sicilian | 46 | 20/10/16 | 43.5% |
| A15 | English Opening | 32 | 18/6/8 | 56.3% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 29 | 21/4/4 | 72.4% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 26 | 13/6/7 | 50.0% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 23 | 16/2/5 | 69.6% |
| E04 | Catalan | 20 | 9/9/2 | 45.0% |
| C88 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 19 | 7/5/7 | 36.8% |
| C07 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 16 | 11/4/1 | 68.8% |
| A20 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 14 | 10/2/2 | 71.4% |
| E71 | King's Indian Defense | 14 | 7/3/4 | 50.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B06 | Modern Defense | 64 | 34/10/20 | 53.1% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 37 | 12/12/13 | 32.4% |
| E04 | Catalan | 29 | 9/9/11 | 31.0% |
| B68 | Sicilian | 24 | 15/2/7 | 62.5% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 24 | 7/10/7 | 29.2% |
| D02 | London System | 19 | 9/6/4 | 47.4% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 16 | 5/3/8 | 31.3% |
| B19 | Caro-Kann: Classical | 14 | 10/0/4 | 71.4% |
| A21 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 14 | 7/1/6 | 50.0% |
| D11 | Slav Defense | 13 | 9/2/2 | 69.2% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2020 | Alexander Grischuk | 2,777 | Titled Tue | B66 |
| Sep 2020 | Peter Svidler | 2,723 | Titled Tue | D97 |
| Jun 2020 | Nikita Vitiugov | 2,722 | Titled Tue | B42 |
| Sep 2020 | Jeffery Xiong | 2,709 | Titled Tue | E93 |
| Jul 2020 | Maxim Matlakov | 2,685 | Titled Tue | B84 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 391 | 252 | 2,501 |
| ch-USA U20 | 2021 | 27 | 14 | 2,501 |
| US Masters Open | 2023 | 25 | 14 | 2,487 |
| 1st 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 22 | 11.5 | 2,362 |
| World Blitz 2025 | 2025 | 19 | 8.5 | 2,355 |
| ch-North American U20 | 2019 | 18 | 13 | 2,450 |
| Chesterfield SPICE Cup Open | 2023 | 18 | 11.5 | 2,488 |
| chT-Pan American Intercollegiate | 2024 | 17 | 10.5 | 2,473 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Andrew Hong (14 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,092 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Praveen Balakrishnan's chess games?
1,092 games by Praveen Balakrishnan, from May 2012 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 Praveen Balakrishnan has played.
What does Praveen Balakrishnan play on the first move as White?
Across 545 games with White in our database, Praveen Balakrishnan opens with 1.e4 (54% of games), 1.d4 (24% of games), 1.Nf3 (13% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Praveen Balakrishnan answers 1...c6 (31% of games), 1...e5 (28% of games), 1...c5 (25% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (65% of games), 1...d5 (18% of games), 1...g6 (14% of games).
What openings does Praveen Balakrishnan play as White?
As White, Praveen Balakrishnan's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (46 games, 43.5% win rate); English Opening (32 games, 56.3% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (29 games, 72.4% win rate). The full breakdown of 545 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Praveen Balakrishnan play as Black?
As Black, Praveen Balakrishnan most often plays: Modern Defense (64 games, 53.1% win rate); Indian Defense (37 games, 32.4% win rate); Catalan (29 games, 31.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 547 games.
What is Praveen Balakrishnan's FIDE rating?
Praveen Balakrishnan is currently rated 2,500 in classical chess, 2,403 in rapid and 2,440 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,529 (Jan 2023).
How many games has Praveen Balakrishnan played?
Our database contains 1,092 games by Praveen Balakrishnan, covering May 2012 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 535 wins, 270 draws, 287 losses (49.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against Praveen Balakrishnan?
1,092 games by Praveen Balakrishnan 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.