Prepare against Rafael A Vaganian
GM · Armenia · World #1,115 classical · FIDE ID 13300016
Our database contains 3,287 games by Rafael A Vaganian, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Rafael A Vaganian's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Rafael A Vaganian 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 | 2,442 | 2,670 | Jan 2005 |
| Rapid | 2,416 | 2,562 | Jul 2017 |
| Blitz | 2,439 | 2,570 | Jul 2016 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3,287 | 1,325 | 1,264 | 697 | 40.3% |
| As White | 1,655 | 764 | 594 | 296 | 46.2% |
| As Black | 1,632 | 561 | 670 | 401 | 34.4% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Rafael A Vaganian's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Rafael A Vaganian's side.
First moves as White (1,655 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 801 | 48.4% | 62.4% |
| Nf3 | 727 | 43.9% | 67.0% |
| c4 | 118 | 7.1% | 59.7% |
| g3 | 4 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
| e4 | 3 | 0.2% | 33.3% |
| d3 | 2 | 0.1% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 48% of White games, 62.4% score
- …Nf6 (64% of these games) — Vaganian usually continues c4 (62.2% score)
- …d5 (23% of these games) — Vaganian usually continues c4 (59.4% score)
- …e6 (4% of these games) — Vaganian usually continues c4 (76.9% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 44% of White games, 67.0% score
- …Nf6 (50% of these games) — Vaganian usually continues c4 (68.4% score)
- …d5 (27% of these games) — Vaganian usually continues g3 (71.2% score)
- …c5 (11% of these games) — Vaganian usually continues c4 (67.1% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (706 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 597 | 84.6% | 54.4% |
| Nf6 | 89 | 12.6% | 56.7% |
| c5 | 15 | 2.1% | 53.3% |
| e5 | 3 | 0.4% | 50.0% |
| c6 | 2 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (588 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 282 | 48.0% | 58.5% |
| d5 | 164 | 27.9% | 47.3% |
| e6 | 137 | 23.3% | 58.0% |
| c5 | 2 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
| f5 | 1 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
Rafael A Vaganian's chess games
All 3,287 games by Rafael A Vaganian in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Aug 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: 1,325 wins, 1,264 draws, 697 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A46 | Indian Defense | 244 | 113/75/56 | 46.3% |
| A30 | English Opening | 216 | 109/88/19 | 50.5% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 146 | 56/65/25 | 38.4% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 130 | 67/46/17 | 51.5% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 111 | 48/45/18 | 43.2% |
| A34 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 92 | 40/40/12 | 43.5% |
| B07 | Modern Defense | 55 | 29/15/11 | 52.7% |
| A43 | Benoni Defense | 51 | 29/10/12 | 56.9% |
| E69 | King's Indian Defense | 46 | 19/22/5 | 41.3% |
| A45 | Trompowsky Attack | 45 | 25/8/12 | 55.6% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 241 | 66/122/53 | 27.4% |
| C09 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 221 | 73/92/56 | 33.0% |
| C16 | French: Winawer Variation | 209 | 87/69/53 | 41.6% |
| D31 | Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense | 99 | 29/48/22 | 29.3% |
| A16 | English Opening | 89 | 31/39/19 | 34.8% |
| B04 | Alekhine Defense | 89 | 36/29/24 | 40.4% |
| E05 | Catalan | 70 | 23/33/14 | 32.9% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 59 | 19/17/23 | 32.2% |
| C00 | French Defense | 48 | 15/16/17 | 31.3% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 48 | 19/17/12 | 39.6% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2008 | Teimour Radjabov | 2,751 | 3rd Wch Blitz | A07 |
| Nov 2000 | Alexei Shirov | 2,746 | Olympiad-34 | D15 |
| Oct 2001 | Peter Leko | 2,739 | 5th WchT | C16 |
| Jun 2004 | Michael Adams | 2,731 | ARM-ROW m | D05 |
| Oct 2004 | Ruslan Ponomariov | 2,710 | Olympiad-36 | B36 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 461 | 247 | 2,288 |
| World Cup | 1989 | 50 | 23.5 | 2,599 |
| Yerevan | 1996 | 41 | 21 | 2,542 |
| WchT Seniors 50 | 2019 | 27 | 17 | 2,504 |
| FIDE-Wch k.o. | 2004 | 25 | 12 | 2,607 |
| Moscow Aeroflot Open A | 2009 | 25 | 13.5 | 2,603 |
| Wch Blitz | 1988 | 23 | 12.5 | 2,599 |
| ch-URS38 Final | 1970 | 21 | 9 | – |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Alexander G Beliavsky (33 games) · Oleg M Romanishin (28 games) · Artur Jussupow (21 games) · Nigel D Short (17 games) · Yuri S Balashov (17 games) · Kiril Georgiev (16 games) · Jaan Ehlvest (14 games) · Predrag Nikolic (14 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 3,287 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Rafael A Vaganian's chess games?
3,287 games by Rafael A Vaganian, from Apr 2003 to Aug 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 Rafael A Vaganian has played.
What does Rafael A Vaganian play on the first move as White?
Across 1,655 games with White in our database, Rafael A Vaganian opens with 1.d4 (48% of games), 1.Nf3 (44% of games), 1.c4 (7% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Rafael A Vaganian answers 1...e6 (85% of games), 1...Nf6 (13% of games), 1...c5 (2% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (48% of games), 1...d5 (28% of games), 1...e6 (23% of games).
What openings does Rafael A Vaganian play as White?
As White, Rafael A Vaganian's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (244 games, 46.3% win rate); English Opening (216 games, 50.5% win rate); Slav Defense (146 games, 38.4% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,655 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Rafael A Vaganian play as Black?
As Black, Rafael A Vaganian most often plays: Indian Defense (241 games, 27.4% win rate); French: Tarrasch Variation (221 games, 33.0% win rate); French: Winawer Variation (209 games, 41.6% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,632 games.
What is Rafael A Vaganian's FIDE rating?
Rafael A Vaganian is currently rated 2,442 in classical chess, 2,416 in rapid and 2,439 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,670 (Jan 2005).
How many games has Rafael A Vaganian played?
Our database contains 3,287 games by Rafael A Vaganian, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 1,325 wins, 1,264 draws, 697 losses (40.3% win rate).
How do I prepare against Rafael A Vaganian?
3,287 games by Rafael A Vaganian 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.