Prepare against Eltaj Safarli
GM · Azerbaijan · World #108 classical · FIDE ID 13402129
Our database contains 2,973 games by Eltaj Safarli, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Eltaj Safarli's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Eltaj Safarli 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 | 2,624 | 2,694 | Nov 2016 |
| Rapid | 2,614 | 2,718 | Oct 2019 |
| Blitz | 2,605 | 2,711 | Jul 2017 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,973 | 1,373 | 1,159 | 440 | 46.2% |
| As White | 1,508 | 797 | 543 | 168 | 52.9% |
| As Black | 1,465 | 576 | 616 | 272 | 39.3% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Eltaj Safarli's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Eltaj Safarli's side.
First moves as White (1,508 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 1,426 | 94.6% | 71.6% |
| d4 | 57 | 3.8% | 60.5% |
| c4 | 12 | 0.8% | 62.5% |
| Nf3 | 11 | 0.7% | 45.5% |
| b3 | 2 | 0.1% | 25.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 95% of White games, 71.6% score
- …c5 (39% of these games) — Safarli usually continues Nf3 (71.0% score)
- …e5 (31% of these games) — Safarli usually continues Nf3 (68.1% score)
- …e6 (11% of these games) — Safarli usually continues d4 (71.6% score)
- 1.d4 — 4% of White games, 60.5% score
- …Nf6 (42% of these games) — Safarli usually continues Bg5 (63.3% score)
- …d5 (32% of these games) — Safarli usually continues Bg5 (50.0% score)
- …e6 (9% of these games) — Safarli usually continues e4 (66.7% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (653 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 349 | 53.4% | 61.5% |
| e5 | 277 | 42.4% | 60.1% |
| d5 | 9 | 1.4% | 61.1% |
| c6 | 6 | 0.9% | 58.3% |
| g6 | 5 | 0.8% | 50.0% |
| e6 | 4 | 0.6% | 25.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (533 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 490 | 91.9% | 61.9% |
| d5 | 26 | 4.9% | 50.0% |
| e6 | 15 | 2.8% | 73.3% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
Eltaj Safarli's chess games
All 2,973 games by Eltaj Safarli in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - 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: 1,373 wins, 1,159 draws, 440 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B50 | Sicilian | 219 | 122/69/28 | 55.7% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 119 | 85/19/15 | 71.4% |
| C77 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 103 | 63/31/9 | 61.2% |
| C07 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 96 | 55/34/7 | 57.3% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 89 | 57/23/9 | 64.0% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 73 | 37/27/9 | 50.7% |
| B31 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 69 | 40/21/8 | 58.0% |
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 68 | 21/41/6 | 30.9% |
| C84 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 43 | 13/26/4 | 30.2% |
| C43 | Petrov's Defense | 40 | 20/17/3 | 50.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 115 | 38/57/20 | 33.0% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 115 | 48/51/16 | 41.7% |
| B45 | Sicilian | 105 | 51/32/22 | 48.6% |
| A16 | English Opening | 84 | 21/53/10 | 25.0% |
| C76 | Ruy Lopez: Steinitz Defense Deferred | 57 | 30/18/9 | 52.6% |
| E05 | Catalan | 52 | 19/25/7 | 36.5% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 52 | 16/21/15 | 30.8% |
| B45 | Sicilian: Four Knights | 48 | 21/12/15 | 43.8% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 36 | 16/10/10 | 44.4% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 35 | 17/13/5 | 48.6% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2016 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2,787 | Titled Tue | A40 |
| Feb 2015 | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | 2,775 | Titled Tue | A48 |
| Jun 2016 | Pentala Harikrishna | 2,763 | 3rd Gashimov Memorial | E15 |
| Jun 2014 | Peter Svidler | 2,753 | 8th Wch Blitz | A22 |
| Dec 2019 | Nikita Vitiugov | 2,747 | Wch Blitz | C07 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 352 | 268.5 | 2,677 |
| chT-TUR | 2023 | 87 | 51 | 2,580 |
| Nakhchivan Open | 2019 | 79 | 55 | 2,664 |
| Wch Rapid | 2019 | 74 | 39.5 | 2,664 |
| Baku Open | 2023 | 53 | 35.5 | 2,601 |
| Wch Blitz | 2019 | 41 | 21 | 2,646 |
| FIDE World Cup | 2023 | 31 | 14.5 | 2,621 |
| PRO League Stage | 2019 | 30 | 23 | 2,726 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Nijat Abasov (21 games) · Baadur Jobava (19 games) · Rauf Mamedov (18 games) · Vasif Durarbayli (18 games) · Mahammad Muradli (16 games) · Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (14 games) · Dmitry Andreikin (13 games) · Olexandr Bortnyk (13 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,973 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Eltaj Safarli's chess games?
2,973 games by Eltaj Safarli, from Apr 2003 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 Eltaj Safarli has played.
What does Eltaj Safarli play on the first move as White?
Across 1,508 games with White in our database, Eltaj Safarli opens with 1.e4 (95% of games), 1.d4 (4% of games), 1.c4 (1% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Eltaj Safarli answers 1...c5 (53% of games), 1...e5 (42% of games), 1...d5 (1% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (92% of games), 1...d5 (5% of games), 1...e6 (3% of games).
What openings does Eltaj Safarli play as White?
As White, Eltaj Safarli's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (219 games, 55.7% win rate); Sicilian: Closed (119 games, 71.4% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense (103 games, 61.2% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,508 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Eltaj Safarli play as Black?
As Black, Eltaj Safarli most often plays: Indian Defense (115 games, 33.0% win rate); Grünfeld Defense (115 games, 41.7% win rate); Sicilian (105 games, 48.6% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,465 games.
What is Eltaj Safarli's FIDE rating?
Eltaj Safarli is currently rated 2,624 in classical chess, 2,614 in rapid and 2,605 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,694 (Nov 2016).
How many games has Eltaj Safarli played?
Our database contains 2,973 games by Eltaj Safarli, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 1,373 wins, 1,159 draws, 440 losses (46.2% win rate).
How do I prepare against Eltaj Safarli?
2,973 games by Eltaj Safarli 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.