Prepare against Rafael Palathingal
CM · United States · World #17,046 classical · FIDE ID 39927580
Our database contains 250 games by Rafael Palathingal, covering Nov 2023 to Aug 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 | 2,085 | 2,108 | Sep 2025 |
| Rapid | 1,861 | 1,861 | Aug 2026 |
| Blitz | 2,127 | 2,127 | Aug 2026 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 250 | 110 | 29 | 111 | 44.0% |
| As White | 134 | 68 | 17 | 49 | 50.7% |
| As Black | 116 | 42 | 12 | 62 | 36.2% |
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 (134 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 53 | 39.6% | 58.5% |
| Nf3 | 32 | 23.9% | 59.4% |
| e4 | 20 | 14.9% | 50.0% |
| b3 | 20 | 14.9% | 45.0% |
| c4 | 5 | 3.7% | 70.0% |
| d3 | 1 | 0.7% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 40% of White games, 58.5% score
- …Nf6 (68% of these games) — Palathingal usually continues c4 (54.7% score)
- …d5 (17% of these games) — Palathingal usually continues c4 (68.8% score)
- …e6 (8% of these games) — Palathingal usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 24% of White games, 59.4% score
- …Nf6 (47% of these games) — Palathingal usually continues c4 (80.0% score)
- …d5 (28% of these games) — Palathingal usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- …g6 (6% of these games) — Palathingal usually continues c4 (0.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (64 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 35 | 54.7% | 35.7% |
| e6 | 16 | 25.0% | 50.0% |
| c6 | 4 | 6.3% | 25.0% |
| Nc6 | 2 | 3.1% | 50.0% |
| a6 | 2 | 3.1% | 50.0% |
| Na6 | 1 | 1.6% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (32 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 15 | 46.9% | 30.0% |
| d5 | 12 | 37.5% | 41.7% |
| e6 | 2 | 6.3% | 25.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 3.1% | 0.0% |
| Nc6 | 1 | 3.1% | 100.0% |
| c6 | 1 | 3.1% | 100.0% |
Rafael Palathingal's chess games
All 250 games by Rafael Palathingal in the Chess.ceo database (Nov 2023 - 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: 110 wins, 29 draws, 111 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 | 15 | 6/3/6 | 40.0% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 13 | 4/4/5 | 30.8% |
| E20 | Nimzo-Indian: Kmoch Variation | 7 | 2/1/4 | 28.6% |
| A15 | English Opening | 7 | 6/0/1 | 85.7% |
| E92 | King's Indian Defense: Petrosian Variation | 6 | 4/0/2 | 66.7% |
| B28 | Sicilian | 5 | 3/0/2 | 60.0% |
| E90 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 4 | 1/1/2 | 25.0% |
| A04 | Dutch Defense | 3 | 1/0/2 | 33.3% |
| E61 | King's Indian Defense | 3 | 3/0/0 | 100.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A46 | Indian Defense | 9 | 3/1/5 | 33.3% |
| C44 | Italian Game | 8 | 4/2/2 | 50.0% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 8 | 1/2/5 | 12.5% |
| C10 | French Defense | 7 | 3/0/4 | 42.9% |
| A06 | Réti Opening | 7 | 2/1/4 | 28.6% |
| D10 | Slav Defense | 6 | 2/2/2 | 33.3% |
| C01 | French: Exchange Variation | 4 | 2/0/2 | 50.0% |
| E06 | Catalan | 4 | 0/1/3 | 0.0% |
| A10 | English Opening | 3 | 0/0/3 | 0.0% |
| 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 | 193 | 95 | 2,130 |
| 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 |
| 3rd 3-0 Thursday | 2025 | 9 | 5 | 2,273 |
| ch-Pan American U10 34th | 2024 | 5 | 3.5 | 2,011 |
| 35th North American Open | 2025 | 3 | 2 | 1,944 |
Interactive opening tree from all 250 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Rafael Palathingal's chess games?
250 games by Rafael Palathingal, from Nov 2023 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 Palathingal has played.
What does Rafael Palathingal play on the first move as White?
Across 134 games with White in our database, Rafael Palathingal opens with 1.d4 (40% of games), 1.Nf3 (24% of games), 1.e4 (15% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Rafael Palathingal answers 1...e5 (55% of games), 1...e6 (25% of games), 1...c6 (6% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (47% of games), 1...d5 (38% of games), 1...e6 (6% 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 (15 games, 40.0% win rate); Indian Defense (13 games, 30.8% win rate). The full breakdown of 134 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Rafael Palathingal play as Black?
As Black, Rafael Palathingal most often plays: Indian Defense (9 games, 33.3% win rate); Italian Game (8 games, 50.0% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense (8 games, 12.5% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 116 games.
What is Rafael Palathingal's FIDE rating?
Rafael Palathingal is currently rated 2,085 in classical chess, 1,861 in rapid and 2,127 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,108 (Sep 2025).
How many games has Rafael Palathingal played?
Our database contains 250 games by Rafael Palathingal, covering Nov 2023 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 110 wins, 29 draws, 111 losses (44.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against Rafael Palathingal?
250 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.