Prepare against Rafael Palathingal
CM · United States · World #12,041 classical · FIDE ID 39927580
When preparing against Rafael Palathingal, expect 1.d4 in 34% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (54% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (56%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Réti Opening as White, 44.4% over 18 games.
Our database contains 312 games by Rafael Palathingal, covering Nov 2023 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Rafael Palathingal's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Rafael Palathingal 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 | 2,142 | 2,142 | Sep 2026 |
| Rapid | 1,890 | 1,890 | Sep 2026 |
| Blitz | 2,138 | 2,138 | Sep 2026 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 312 | 133 | 38 | 141 | 42.6% |
| As White | 166 | 84 | 23 | 59 | 50.6% |
| As Black | 146 | 49 | 15 | 82 | 33.6% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Rafael Palathingal's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Rafael Palathingal's side.
First moves as White (166 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 57 | 34.3% | 57.0% |
| Nf3 | 37 | 22.3% | 58.1% |
| e4 | 36 | 21.7% | 56.9% |
| b3 | 20 | 12.0% | 45.0% |
| c4 | 8 | 4.8% | 62.5% |
| e3 | 3 | 1.8% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 34% of White games, 57.0% score
- …Nf6 (67% of these games) — Palathingal usually continues c4 (54.4% score)
- …d5 (19% of these games) — Palathingal usually continues c4 (60.0% score)
- …e6 (7% of these games) — Palathingal usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 22% of White games, 58.1% score
- …Nf6 (51% of these games) — Palathingal usually continues c4 (57.1% score)
- …d5 (27% of these games) — Palathingal usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- …g6 (5% of these games) — Palathingal usually continues c4 (0.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (76 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 41 | 53.9% | 35.4% |
| e6 | 16 | 21.1% | 50.0% |
| c6 | 6 | 7.9% | 16.7% |
| a6 | 3 | 3.9% | 66.7% |
| Nc6 | 3 | 3.9% | 33.3% |
| d6 | 2 | 2.6% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (41 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 23 | 56.1% | 28.3% |
| d5 | 12 | 29.3% | 41.7% |
| c6 | 2 | 4.9% | 75.0% |
| e6 | 2 | 4.9% | 25.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 2.4% | 0.0% |
| Nc6 | 1 | 2.4% | 100.0% |
Rafael Palathingal's chess games
All 312 games by Rafael Palathingal in the Chess.ceo database (Nov 2023 - 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: 133 wins, 38 draws, 141 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A01 | Nimzovich-Larsen attack | 19 | 9/0/10 | 47.4% |
| A05 | Réti Opening | 18 | 8/4/6 | 44.4% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 14 | 4/4/6 | 28.6% |
| B28 | Sicilian | 8 | 5/0/3 | 62.5% |
| E20 | Nimzo-Indian: Kmoch Variation | 8 | 3/1/4 | 37.5% |
| A15 | English Opening | 8 | 6/0/2 | 75.0% |
| E92 | King's Indian Defense: Petrosian Variation | 6 | 4/0/2 | 66.7% |
| E90 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 5 | 1/1/3 | 20.0% |
| A21 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 4 | 3/1/0 | 75.0% |
| A56 | Benoni Defense | 3 | 2/0/1 | 66.7% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A06 | Réti Opening | 11 | 4/1/6 | 36.4% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 10 | 3/1/6 | 30.0% |
| C44 | Italian Game | 10 | 5/2/3 | 50.0% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 9 | 1/3/5 | 11.1% |
| D10 | Slav Defense | 7 | 3/2/2 | 42.9% |
| C10 | French Defense | 7 | 3/0/4 | 42.9% |
| A10 | English Opening | 6 | 0/0/6 | 0.0% |
| E06 | Catalan | 4 | 0/1/3 | 0.0% |
| C01 | French: Exchange Variation | 4 | 2/0/2 | 50.0% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 3 | 2/0/1 | 66.7% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | Niclas Huschenbeth | 2,587 | Titled Tue | C44 |
| Dec 2025 | Zhongyi Tan | 2,524 | 3rd 3-0 Thursday | D35 |
| Apr 2026 | George-Catalin Ardelean | 2,423 | Titled Tue | C45 |
| Apr 2026 | Karina Ambartsumova | 2,385 | Titled Tue | A09 |
| Apr 2026 | Sergei Ljukin | 2,362 | 1st 3-0 Thursday | C02 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 223 | 108.5 | 2,129 |
| 2nd 3-0 Thu 27th Aug 2026 | 2026 | 11 | 3.5 | 2,050 |
| 2nd 3-0 Thu 20th Aug 2026 | 2026 | 11 | 6 | 2,294 |
| 1st 3-0 Thu 20th Aug 2026 | 2026 | 10 | 4.5 | 2,061 |
| 2nd 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 10 | 4.5 | 2,098 |
| 1st 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 10 | 4.5 | 2,025 |
| XXXVI Pan-American Youth Chess Festival | O12 | 2026 | 9 | 6.5 | 2,033 |
| 19th SPICE Cup Open | 2025 | 9 | 3.5 | 1,979 |
Interactive opening tree from all 312 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Rafael Palathingal's chess games?
312 games by Rafael Palathingal, from Nov 2023 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 Palathingal has played.
What does Rafael Palathingal play on the first move as White?
Across 166 games with White in our database, Rafael Palathingal opens with 1.d4 (34% of games), 1.Nf3 (22% of games), 1.e4 (22% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Rafael Palathingal answers 1...e5 (54% of games), 1...e6 (21% of games), 1...c6 (8% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (56% of games), 1...d5 (29% of games), 1...c6 (5% of games).
What openings does Rafael Palathingal play as White?
As White, Rafael Palathingal's most-played openings in our database are: Nimzovich-Larsen attack (19 games, 47.4% win rate); Réti Opening (18 games, 44.4% win rate); Indian Defense (14 games, 28.6% win rate). The full breakdown of 166 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Rafael Palathingal play as Black?
As Black, Rafael Palathingal most often plays: Réti Opening (11 games, 36.4% win rate); Indian Defense (10 games, 30.0% win rate); Italian Game (10 games, 50.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 146 games.
What is Rafael Palathingal's FIDE rating?
Rafael Palathingal is currently rated 2,142 in classical chess, 1,890 in rapid and 2,138 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,142 (Sep 2026).
How many games has Rafael Palathingal played?
Our database contains 312 games by Rafael Palathingal, covering Nov 2023 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 133 wins, 38 draws, 141 losses (42.6% win rate).
How do I prepare against Rafael Palathingal?
312 games by Rafael Palathingal 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.