Prepare against Predrag Nikolic
GM · Bosnia & Herzegovina · World #306 classical · FIDE ID 14400014
When preparing against Predrag Nikolic, expect 1.d4 in 86% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e6 (44% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (46%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Slav Defense as Black, 18.4% over 98 games.
Our database contains 2,888 games by Predrag Nikolic, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Predrag Nikolic's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Predrag Nikolic 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 | 2,551 | 2,676 | Jan 2005 |
| Rapid | 2,615 | 2,658 | Dec 2022 |
| Blitz | 2,550 | 2,652 | Mar 2012 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,888 | 1,096 | 1,294 | 498 | 38.0% |
| As White | 1,447 | 651 | 611 | 185 | 45.0% |
| As Black | 1,441 | 445 | 683 | 313 | 30.9% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Predrag Nikolic's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Predrag Nikolic's side.
First moves as White (1,447 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 1,251 | 86.5% | 64.7% |
| Nf3 | 154 | 10.6% | 75.3% |
| c4 | 38 | 2.6% | 73.7% |
| e4 | 4 | 0.3% | 75.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 86% of White games, 64.7% score
- …Nf6 (65% of these games) — Nikolic usually continues c4 (63.6% score)
- …d5 (24% of these games) — Nikolic usually continues c4 (65.1% score)
- …e6 (3% of these games) — Nikolic usually continues c4 (73.4% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 11% of White games, 75.3% score
- …Nf6 (54% of these games) — Nikolic usually continues c4 (67.8% score)
- …d5 (26% of these games) — Nikolic usually continues g3 (79.2% score)
- …c5 (12% of these games) — Nikolic usually continues c4 (84.4% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (637 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 282 | 44.3% | 55.1% |
| e5 | 271 | 42.5% | 51.1% |
| d6 | 53 | 8.3% | 57.5% |
| g6 | 22 | 3.5% | 68.2% |
| c6 | 6 | 0.9% | 41.7% |
| c5 | 2 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (509 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 234 | 46.0% | 53.2% |
| d5 | 194 | 38.1% | 52.3% |
| f5 | 62 | 12.2% | 49.2% |
| e6 | 15 | 2.9% | 50.0% |
| d6 | 4 | 0.8% | 62.5% |
Predrag Nikolic's chess games
All 2,888 games by Predrag Nikolic 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: 1,096 wins, 1,294 draws, 498 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D77 | Indian Defense | 357 | 143/167/47 | 40.1% |
| D10 | Slav Defense | 183 | 71/82/30 | 38.8% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 172 | 73/81/18 | 42.4% |
| D78 | King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation | 84 | 34/34/16 | 40.5% |
| A62 | Catalan | 58 | 24/27/7 | 41.4% |
| A30 | English Opening | 49 | 33/12/4 | 67.3% |
| D20 | Queen's Gambit Accepted | 44 | 19/20/5 | 43.2% |
| E11 | Bogo-Indian Defense | 43 | 19/19/5 | 44.2% |
| A58 | Benoni Defense | 41 | 23/12/6 | 56.1% |
| A40 | Modern Defense | 37 | 21/8/8 | 56.8% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C92 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 163 | 32/88/43 | 19.6% |
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 126 | 48/45/33 | 38.1% |
| D16 | Slav Defense | 98 | 18/52/28 | 18.4% |
| C08 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 93 | 23/49/21 | 24.7% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 89 | 22/51/16 | 24.7% |
| A25 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 84 | 34/39/11 | 40.5% |
| D20 | Queen's Gambit Accepted | 71 | 22/37/12 | 31.0% |
| A90 | Dutch Defense | 71 | 19/34/18 | 26.8% |
| E11 | Bogo-Indian Defense | 66 | 13/40/13 | 19.7% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 51 | 25/10/16 | 49.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1996 | Anatoly Karpov | 2,770 | 05th Amber Rapid | D78 |
| Feb 1997 | Viswanathan Anand | 2,765 | 14th Linares | D76 |
| Jan 1996 | Gata Kamsky | 2,735 | Amber Blindfold 05th | E69 |
| Feb 2007 | David Navara | 2,725 | Bundesliga 2006-07 | E15 |
| Jan 1997 | Veselin Topalov | 2,725 | 06th Amber Rapid | A36 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoogovens | 1997 | 113 | 60.5 | 2,602 |
| World Cup | 1991 | 79 | 38.5 | 2,611 |
| chT-SRB | 2018 | 67 | 39.5 | 2,603 |
| Sarajevo | 1987 | 56 | 38.5 | 2,626 |
| Tilburg | 1993 | 36 | 18 | 2,631 |
| PCA/Intel-GP | 1995 | 26 | 11 | 2,601 |
| Novi Sad | 1984 | 24 | 15 | 2,614 |
| Vidmar Memorial | 1993 | 24 | 17 | 2,673 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Loek Van Wely (30 games) · Vasyl Ivanchuk (30 games) · Ivan Sokolov (29 games) · John T.H. Van der Wiel (25 games) · Boris Gelfand (25 games) · Alexander G Beliavsky (23 games) · Viswanathan Anand (22 games) · Alexei Shirov (21 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,888 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Predrag Nikolic's chess games?
2,888 games by Predrag Nikolic, 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 Predrag Nikolic has played.
What does Predrag Nikolic play on the first move as White?
Across 1,447 games with White in our database, Predrag Nikolic opens with 1.d4 (86% of games), 1.Nf3 (11% of games), 1.c4 (3% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Predrag Nikolic answers 1...e6 (44% of games), 1...e5 (43% of games), 1...d6 (8% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (46% of games), 1...d5 (38% of games), 1...f5 (12% of games).
What openings does Predrag Nikolic play as White?
As White, Predrag Nikolic's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (357 games, 40.1% win rate); Slav Defense (183 games, 38.8% win rate); Queen's Indian Defense (172 games, 42.4% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,447 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Predrag Nikolic play as Black?
As Black, Predrag Nikolic most often plays: Ruy Lopez: Closed (163 games, 19.6% win rate); French: Winawer Variation (126 games, 38.1% win rate); Slav Defense (98 games, 18.4% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,441 games.
What is Predrag Nikolic's FIDE rating?
Predrag Nikolic is currently rated 2,551 in classical chess, 2,615 in rapid and 2,550 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,676 (Jan 2005).
How many games has Predrag Nikolic played?
Our database contains 2,888 games by Predrag Nikolic, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 1,096 wins, 1,294 draws, 498 losses (38.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against Predrag Nikolic?
2,888 games by Predrag Nikolic 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.