Prepare against Rafael Leitao
GM · Brazil · World #192 classical · FIDE ID 2101246
When preparing against Rafael Leitao, expect 1.d4 in 56% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (70% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (86%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Slav Defense as Black, 12.8% over 47 games.
Our database contains 2,413 games by Rafael Leitao, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Rafael Leitao's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Rafael Leitao 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 | 2,584 | 2,652 | Jun 2014 |
| Rapid | 2,615 | 2,649 | Oct 2015 |
| Blitz | 2,594 | 2,636 | Dec 2013 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,413 | 1,233 | 772 | 407 | 51.1% |
| As White | 1,228 | 695 | 361 | 172 | 56.6% |
| As Black | 1,185 | 538 | 411 | 235 | 45.4% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Rafael Leitao's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Rafael Leitao's side.
First moves as White (1,226 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 685 | 55.9% | 74.9% |
| c4 | 317 | 25.9% | 66.2% |
| e4 | 207 | 16.9% | 68.6% |
| Nf3 | 17 | 1.4% | 52.9% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 56% of White games, 74.9% score
- …Nf6 (58% of these games) — Leitao usually continues c4 (73.9% score)
- …d5 (31% of these games) — Leitao usually continues c4 (73.5% score)
- …e6 (4% of these games) — Leitao usually continues c4 (79.5% score)
- 1.c4 — 26% of White games, 66.2% score
- …Nf6 (30% of these games) — Leitao usually continues Nc3 (65.4% score)
- …e5 (23% of these games) — Leitao usually continues Nc3 (70.0% score)
- …e6 (14% of these games) — Leitao usually continues g3 (68.8% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (565 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 395 | 69.9% | 64.7% |
| e5 | 95 | 16.8% | 68.4% |
| c6 | 36 | 6.4% | 56.9% |
| d6 | 26 | 4.6% | 80.8% |
| Nf6 | 8 | 1.4% | 87.5% |
| e6 | 5 | 0.9% | 80.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (407 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 350 | 86.0% | 63.1% |
| d5 | 47 | 11.5% | 48.9% |
| f5 | 5 | 1.2% | 70.0% |
| g6 | 3 | 0.7% | 100.0% |
| e6 | 1 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
| c5 | 1 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
Rafael Leitao's chess games
All 2,413 games by Rafael Leitao 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: 1,233 wins, 772 draws, 407 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D45 | Slav Defense | 122 | 68/43/11 | 55.7% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 113 | 56/44/13 | 49.6% |
| A13 | English Opening | 104 | 63/17/24 | 60.6% |
| A28 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 95 | 58/11/26 | 61.1% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 61 | 35/20/6 | 57.4% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 47 | 22/22/3 | 46.8% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 42 | 20/22/0 | 47.6% |
| A42 | Modern Defense | 41 | 21/9/11 | 51.2% |
| D80 | Grünfeld Defense | 36 | 20/11/5 | 55.6% |
| A37 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 33 | 18/7/8 | 54.5% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B46 | Sicilian | 153 | 66/51/36 | 43.1% |
| B92 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 98 | 50/33/15 | 51.0% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 58 | 27/20/11 | 46.6% |
| E05 | Catalan | 53 | 22/19/12 | 41.5% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 47 | 6/30/10 | 12.8% |
| A13 | English Opening | 42 | 17/18/7 | 40.5% |
| E43 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 35 | 18/9/8 | 51.4% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 34 | 13/8/13 | 38.2% |
| B52 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 32 | 12/13/7 | 37.5% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 32 | 20/11/1 | 62.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2023 | Alireza Firouzja | 2,785 | Titled Tue Late | A21 |
| Jul 2023 | Alexander Grischuk | 2,736 | Titled Tue Late | A21 |
| Jun 2023 | Dmitry Andreikin | 2,729 | Titled Tue Late | A21 |
| Aug 2013 | Ernesto Inarkiev | 2,693 | FIDE World Cup | A27 |
| Sep 2022 | Jeffery Xiong | 2,690 | Titled Tue Late | A13 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 701 | 428.5 | 2,417 |
| Sao Paulo zt 2.4 | 2007 | 45 | 31 | 2,601 |
| ch-BRA | 2001 | 38 | 28.5 | 2,549 |
| FIDE World Cup | 2015 | 28 | 12 | 2,607 |
| ch-Paulista | 2006 | 27 | 22 | 2,519 |
| Cuiaba Contaud Open | 2019 | 24 | 19.5 | 2,512 |
| Fortaleza Open | 2010 | 20 | 16 | 2,609 |
| Wch U16 | 1995 | 20 | 14 | 2,449 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Everaldo Matsuura (47 games) · Andres Rodriguez Vila (37 games) · Krikor Sevag Mekhitarian (33 games) · Alexandr Fier (29 games) · Darcy Lima (23 games) · Jose Cubas (22 games) · Jaime Sunye Neto (19 games) · Diego Rafael Di Berardino (16 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,413 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Rafael Leitao's chess games?
2,413 games by Rafael Leitao, 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 Rafael Leitao has played.
What does Rafael Leitao play on the first move as White?
Across 1,226 games with White in our database, Rafael Leitao opens with 1.d4 (56% of games), 1.c4 (26% of games), 1.e4 (17% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Rafael Leitao answers 1...c5 (70% of games), 1...e5 (17% of games), 1...c6 (6% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (86% of games), 1...d5 (12% of games), 1...f5 (1% of games).
What openings does Rafael Leitao play as White?
As White, Rafael Leitao's most-played openings in our database are: Slav Defense (122 games, 55.7% win rate); Indian Defense (113 games, 49.6% win rate); English Opening (104 games, 60.6% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,228 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Rafael Leitao play as Black?
As Black, Rafael Leitao most often plays: Sicilian (153 games, 43.1% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (98 games, 51.0% win rate); Indian Defense (58 games, 46.6% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,185 games.
What is Rafael Leitao's FIDE rating?
Rafael Leitao is currently rated 2,584 in classical chess, 2,615 in rapid and 2,594 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,652 (Jun 2014).
How many games has Rafael Leitao played?
Our database contains 2,413 games by Rafael Leitao, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 1,233 wins, 772 draws, 407 losses (51.1% win rate).
How do I prepare against Rafael Leitao?
2,413 games by Rafael Leitao 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.