Prepare against Sabry Tahan
IM · Egypt · World #11,391 classical · FIDE ID 10600701
When preparing against Sabry Tahan, expect 1.d4 in 100% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c6 (88% of games); against 1.d4, 1...d5 (83%).
Our database contains 53 games by Sabry Tahan, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Sabry Tahan's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Sabry Tahan 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 | 2,149 | 2,344 | Jul 2008 |
| Rapid | 2,135 | 2,152 | Jan 2019 |
| Blitz | 2,145 | 2,205 | Jul 2015 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 53 | 26 | 14 | 13 | 49.1% |
| As White | 27 | 16 | 4 | 7 | 59.3% |
| As Black | 26 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 38.5% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Sabry Tahan's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Sabry Tahan's side.
First moves as White (27 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 27 | 100.0% | 66.7% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 100% of White games, 66.7% score
- …Nf6 (59% of these games) — Tahan usually continues Nf3 (65.4% score)
- …d5 (15% of these games) — Tahan usually continues Nf3 (100.0% score)
- …g6 (7% of these games) — Tahan usually continues Bf4 (0.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (8 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c6 | 7 | 87.5% | 64.3% |
| d5 | 1 | 12.5% | 0.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (12 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 10 | 83.3% | 55.0% |
| Nf6 | 1 | 8.3% | 0.0% |
| c6 | 1 | 8.3% | 100.0% |
Sabry Tahan's chess games
All 53 games by Sabry Tahan in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Jul 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: 26 wins, 14 draws, 13 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A46 | Indian Defense | 11 | 4/3/4 | 36.4% |
| D02 | London System | 10 | 8/0/2 | 80.0% |
| A80 | Horwitz Defense | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| A48 | Modern Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| D02 | Benoni Defense | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
| A48 | Rat Defense | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| A80 | Dutch Defense | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D16 | Slav Defense | 10 | 3/6/1 | 30.0% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 4 | 3/1/0 | 75.0% |
| B17 | Caro-Kann: Karpov Variation | 3 | 1/1/1 | 33.3% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 2 | 1/1/0 | 50.0% |
| D03 | Torre Attack | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| E38 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| B01 | Scandinavian Defense: Main Line | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| B15 | Caro-Kann | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1999 | Essam El Gindy | 2,458 | 3rd Golden Cleopatra Open | D02 |
| Apr 1999 | Ibrahim Hasan Labib | 2,405 | 3rd Golden Cleopatra Open | A48 |
| Apr 1999 | Ahmed Yousef Hamed | 2,349 | 3rd Golden Cleopatra Open | A46 |
| Apr 1999 | Mohsen Elgabry | 2,296 | 3rd Golden Cleopatra Open | A48 |
| Jan 1998 | Ehab Ahmed | 2,285 | Cairo Open | A80 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd Golden Cleopatra Open | 1999 | 9 | 5.5 | 2,451 |
| Tanta zt | 1998 | 9 | 6 | 2,447 |
| Cairo Open | 1998 | 8 | 6 | 2,427 |
| ch-EGY | 2013 | 8 | 3 | 2,120 |
| 1st Cairo Heliopolis Open | 2009 | 5 | 2 | 2,148 |
| 5th chT-Arab Cities | 2007 | 4 | 4 | 2,477 |
| Amman tt | 2008 | 4 | 3 | 2,532 |
| chT-EGY 0708 | 2007 | 2 | 2 | 2,579 |
Interactive opening tree from all 53 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Sabry Tahan's chess games?
53 games by Sabry Tahan, from Apr 2003 to Jul 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 Sabry Tahan has played.
What does Sabry Tahan play on the first move as White?
Across 27 games with White in our database, Sabry Tahan opens with 1.d4 (100% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Sabry Tahan answers 1...c6 (88% of games), 1...d5 (13% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (83% of games), 1...Nf6 (8% of games), 1...c6 (8% of games).
What openings does Sabry Tahan play as White?
As White, Sabry Tahan's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (11 games, 36.4% win rate); London System (10 games, 80.0% win rate); Horwitz Defense (1 games, 100.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 27 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Sabry Tahan play as Black?
As Black, Sabry Tahan most often plays: Slav Defense (10 games, 30.0% win rate); Réti Opening (4 games, 75.0% win rate); Caro-Kann: Karpov Variation (3 games, 33.3% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 26 games.
What is Sabry Tahan's FIDE rating?
Sabry Tahan is currently rated 2,149 in classical chess, 2,135 in rapid and 2,145 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,344 (Jul 2008).
How many games has Sabry Tahan played?
Our database contains 53 games by Sabry Tahan, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 26 wins, 14 draws, 13 losses (49.1% win rate).
How do I prepare against Sabry Tahan?
53 games by Sabry Tahan 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.