Prepare against Rafail Antoniou
FM · Cyprus · World #6,162 classical · FIDE ID 5904390
When preparing against Rafail Antoniou, expect 1.e4 in 32% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (87% of games); against 1.d4, 1...d5 (53%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation as White, 17.9% over 28 games.
Our database contains 1,193 games by Rafail Antoniou, covering Oct 2015 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Rafail Antoniou's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Rafail Antoniou 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 | 2,244 | 2,313 | Jul 2026 |
| Rapid | 2,308 | 2,338 | May 2026 |
| Blitz | 2,184 | 2,253 | Nov 2025 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,193 | 558 | 148 | 487 | 46.8% |
| As White | 601 | 307 | 75 | 219 | 51.1% |
| As Black | 592 | 251 | 73 | 268 | 42.4% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Rafail Antoniou's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Rafail Antoniou's side.
First moves as White (601 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 193 | 32.1% | 60.4% |
| c4 | 168 | 28.0% | 44.3% |
| d4 | 82 | 13.6% | 62.2% |
| Nc3 | 60 | 10.0% | 60.0% |
| b3 | 39 | 6.5% | 67.9% |
| Nf3 | 36 | 6.0% | 69.4% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 32% of White games, 60.4% score
- …c5 (35% of these games) — Antoniou usually continues c3 (55.8% score)
- …e5 (25% of these games) — Antoniou usually continues Nf3 (62.8% score)
- …c6 (12% of these games) — Antoniou usually continues d4 (85.7% score)
- 1.c4 — 28% of White games, 44.3% score
- …Nf6 (26% of these games) — Antoniou usually continues Nf3 (39.3% score)
- …e5 (21% of these games) — Antoniou usually continues Nc3 (40.7% score)
- …e6 (17% of these games) — Antoniou usually continues Nf3 (35.2% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (301 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 263 | 87.4% | 52.9% |
| Nf6 | 8 | 2.7% | 31.3% |
| g6 | 7 | 2.3% | 100.0% |
| e5 | 6 | 2.0% | 58.3% |
| c6 | 4 | 1.3% | 75.0% |
| b6 | 3 | 1.0% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (175 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 92 | 52.6% | 37.5% |
| c5 | 38 | 21.7% | 48.7% |
| Nf6 | 22 | 12.6% | 36.4% |
| g6 | 7 | 4.0% | 57.1% |
| c6 | 6 | 3.4% | 58.3% |
| d6 | 4 | 2.3% | 87.5% |
Rafail Antoniou's chess games
All 1,193 games by Rafail Antoniou in the Chess.ceo database (Oct 2015 - 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: 558 wins, 148 draws, 487 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A17 | English Opening | 65 | 24/10/31 | 36.9% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 52 | 26/6/20 | 50.0% |
| A00 | Dunst Opening | 40 | 18/7/15 | 45.0% |
| A01 | Nimzovich-Larsen attack | 39 | 24/5/10 | 61.5% |
| A28 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 39 | 14/8/17 | 35.9% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 28 | 5/8/15 | 17.9% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 19 | 10/3/6 | 52.6% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 17 | 10/1/6 | 58.8% |
| A30 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 17 | 9/1/7 | 52.9% |
| D00 | Queen's Pawn Game | 17 | 10/0/7 | 58.8% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B40 | Sicilian | 118 | 53/14/51 | 44.9% |
| B45 | Sicilian: Four Knights | 99 | 41/18/40 | 41.4% |
| A43 | Benoni Defense | 40 | 19/4/17 | 47.5% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 37 | 14/4/19 | 37.8% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 28 | 10/4/14 | 35.7% |
| A04 | Réti Opening | 24 | 7/5/12 | 29.2% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 19 | 14/1/4 | 73.7% |
| A13 | English Opening | 18 | 6/1/11 | 33.3% |
| D35 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 17 | 4/3/10 | 23.5% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 16 | 13/0/3 | 81.3% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2024 | Etienne Bacrot | 2,677 | Titled Tue Late | B00 |
| Oct 2024 | David Paravyan | 2,620 | Titled Tue Early | B40 |
| Jun 2025 | Samvel Ter-Sahakyan | 2,611 | Titled Tue Early | C47 |
| Jun 2025 | Gleb Dudin | 2,564 | Titled Tue Late | A13 |
| Apr 2024 | Denis Kadric | 2,558 | Titled Tue Early | B45 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 960 | 505 | 2,286 |
| ch-CYP | 2025 | 19 | 10 | 1,963 |
| ch-EU Schools U13 | 2021 | 14 | 8.5 | 1,866 |
| World Youth Open U18 2026 | 2026 | 11 | 5.5 | 2,206 |
| World Cup U14 Prel | 2021 | 10 | 4.5 | 1,740 |
| 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 2026 | Open | Matches 1-12 | 2026 | 10 | 3 | 2,072 |
| Olympiad-44 | 2022 | 9 | 5 | 2,002 |
| 26th ch-EU U08 | 2016 | 9 | 4.5 | 1,486 |
Interactive opening tree from all 1,193 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Rafail Antoniou's chess games?
1,193 games by Rafail Antoniou, from Oct 2015 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 Rafail Antoniou has played.
What does Rafail Antoniou play on the first move as White?
Across 601 games with White in our database, Rafail Antoniou opens with 1.e4 (32% of games), 1.c4 (28% of games), 1.d4 (14% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Rafail Antoniou answers 1...c5 (87% of games), 1...Nf6 (3% of games), 1...g6 (2% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (53% of games), 1...c5 (22% of games), 1...Nf6 (13% of games).
What openings does Rafail Antoniou play as White?
As White, Rafail Antoniou's most-played openings in our database are: English Opening (65 games, 36.9% win rate); Sicilian: Alapin (52 games, 50.0% win rate); Dunst Opening (40 games, 45.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 601 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Rafail Antoniou play as Black?
As Black, Rafail Antoniou most often plays: Sicilian (118 games, 44.9% win rate); Sicilian: Four Knights (99 games, 41.4% win rate); Benoni Defense (40 games, 47.5% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 592 games.
What is Rafail Antoniou's FIDE rating?
Rafail Antoniou is currently rated 2,244 in classical chess, 2,308 in rapid and 2,184 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,313 (Jul 2026).
How many games has Rafail Antoniou played?
Our database contains 1,193 games by Rafail Antoniou, covering Oct 2015 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 558 wins, 148 draws, 487 losses (46.8% win rate).
How do I prepare against Rafail Antoniou?
1,193 games by Rafail Antoniou 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.