Prepare against Reza Mahdavi
IM · IRN · World #692 classical · FIDE ID 12595926
When preparing against Reza Mahdavi, expect 1.e4 in 82% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (63% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (92%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation as Black, 49.2% over 59 games.
Our database contains 2,865 games by Reza Mahdavi, covering May 2014 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Reza Mahdavi's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Reza Mahdavi 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 | 2,485 | 2,494 | Jun 2026 |
| Rapid | 2,467 | 2,518 | Sep 2025 |
| Blitz | 2,440 | 2,443 | Aug 2023 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,865 | 1,734 | 302 | 829 | 60.5% |
| As White | 1,431 | 925 | 144 | 362 | 64.6% |
| As Black | 1,434 | 809 | 158 | 467 | 56.4% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Reza Mahdavi's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Reza Mahdavi's side.
First moves as White (1,431 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 1,175 | 82.1% | 68.6% |
| Nf3 | 147 | 10.3% | 74.1% |
| d4 | 50 | 3.5% | 71.0% |
| b3 | 34 | 2.4% | 76.5% |
| c4 | 23 | 1.6% | 80.4% |
| g3 | 2 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 82% of White games, 68.6% score
- …c5 (42% of these games) — Mahdavi usually continues Nf3 (68.0% score)
- …e5 (23% of these games) — Mahdavi usually continues Nf3 (66.3% score)
- …e6 (12% of these games) — Mahdavi usually continues d4 (65.1% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 10% of White games, 74.1% score
- …Nf6 (39% of these games) — Mahdavi usually continues g3 (82.9% score)
- …d5 (39% of these games) — Mahdavi usually continues g3 (67.4% score)
- …c5 (9% of these games) — Mahdavi usually continues c4 (78.6% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (581 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 366 | 63.0% | 60.2% |
| c6 | 115 | 19.8% | 67.0% |
| e5 | 53 | 9.1% | 57.5% |
| d6 | 19 | 3.3% | 71.1% |
| g6 | 16 | 2.8% | 71.9% |
| e6 | 9 | 1.5% | 72.2% |
As Black against 1.d4 (545 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 499 | 91.6% | 62.5% |
| g6 | 18 | 3.3% | 66.7% |
| d5 | 17 | 3.1% | 67.6% |
| d6 | 8 | 1.5% | 87.5% |
| b6 | 1 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
Reza Mahdavi's chess games
All 2,865 games by Reza Mahdavi in the Chess.ceo database (May 2014 - 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: 1,734 wins, 302 draws, 829 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B40 | Sicilian | 160 | 104/19/37 | 65.0% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 110 | 69/11/30 | 62.7% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 84 | 53/12/19 | 63.1% |
| B93 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 65 | 35/6/24 | 53.8% |
| A05 | Réti Opening | 62 | 40/6/16 | 64.5% |
| C47 | Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation | 58 | 29/13/16 | 50.0% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 50 | 29/6/15 | 58.0% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 45 | 33/1/11 | 73.3% |
| C00 | King's Indian Attack | 41 | 31/1/9 | 75.6% |
| A01 | Nimzovich-Larsen attack | 33 | 25/2/6 | 75.8% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B50 | Sicilian | 116 | 62/15/39 | 53.4% |
| A50 | Indian Defense | 115 | 80/8/27 | 69.6% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 93 | 50/11/32 | 53.8% |
| A15 | English Opening | 69 | 38/7/24 | 55.1% |
| A48 | King's Indian Defense | 63 | 33/8/22 | 52.4% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 59 | 29/9/21 | 49.2% |
| A05 | Réti Opening | 45 | 24/4/17 | 53.3% |
| B47 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 41 | 21/5/15 | 51.2% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 39 | 26/1/12 | 66.7% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 37 | 20/2/15 | 54.1% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,839 | 1st 3-0 Thursday | E81 |
| Feb 2026 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2,810 | 1st 3-0 Thursday | A01 |
| Oct 2024 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,796 | Titled Tue Early | B33 |
| Dec 2024 | Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 2,777 | Qatar Masters Open | E81 |
| Mar 2026 | Erigaisi Arjun | 2,775 | 3rd 3-0 Thursday | C02 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 1,751 | 1,171.5 | 2,515 |
| 1st 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 167 | 113 | 2,558 |
| 3rd 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 142 | 96 | 2,589 |
| 2nd 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 142 | 93 | 2,562 |
| Abu Dhabi Masters Online | 2025 | 15 | 9 | 2,493 |
| 2nd Gran Canaria Online Blitz | 2022 | 13 | 10 | 2,181 |
| 2nd Rasht Father Cup Blitz | 2023 | 12 | 9 | 2,403 |
| TCh-TUR Super League | 2025 | 12 | 8.5 | 2,620 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Alexey Sarana (41 games) · Denis Lazavik (27 games) · Jeffery Xiong (26 games) · Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara (24 games) · Bogdan-Daniel Deac (22 games) · Sina Movahed (21 games) · Hikaru Nakamura (20 games) · Matthias Bluebaum (20 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,865 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Reza Mahdavi's chess games?
2,865 games by Reza Mahdavi, from May 2014 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 Reza Mahdavi has played.
What does Reza Mahdavi play on the first move as White?
Across 1,431 games with White in our database, Reza Mahdavi opens with 1.e4 (82% of games), 1.Nf3 (10% of games), 1.d4 (3% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Reza Mahdavi answers 1...c5 (63% of games), 1...c6 (20% of games), 1...e5 (9% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (92% of games), 1...g6 (3% of games), 1...d5 (3% of games).
What openings does Reza Mahdavi play as White?
As White, Reza Mahdavi's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (160 games, 65.0% win rate); Caro-Kann: Advance Variation (110 games, 62.7% win rate); Sicilian: Moscow Variation (84 games, 63.1% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,431 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Reza Mahdavi play as Black?
As Black, Reza Mahdavi most often plays: Sicilian (116 games, 53.4% win rate); Indian Defense (115 games, 69.6% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (93 games, 53.8% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,434 games.
What is Reza Mahdavi's FIDE rating?
Reza Mahdavi is currently rated 2,485 in classical chess, 2,467 in rapid and 2,440 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,494 (Jun 2026).
How many games has Reza Mahdavi played?
Our database contains 2,865 games by Reza Mahdavi, covering May 2014 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 1,734 wins, 302 draws, 829 losses (60.5% win rate).
How do I prepare against Reza Mahdavi?
2,865 games by Reza Mahdavi 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.