Prepare against Samuel Sevian
GM · United States · World #29 classical · FIDE ID 2040506
When preparing against Samuel Sevian, expect 1.e4 in 65% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (56% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (84%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense as Black, 26.0% over 50 games.
Our database contains 3,675 games by Samuel Sevian, covering Nov 2009 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Samuel Sevian's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Samuel Sevian 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 | 2,708 | 2,708 | Sep 2026 |
| Rapid | 2,664 | 2,667 | Mar 2026 |
| Blitz | 2,658 | 2,726 | Nov 2025 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3,675 | 1,880 | 985 | 810 | 51.2% |
| As White | 1,862 | 1,011 | 487 | 364 | 54.3% |
| As Black | 1,813 | 869 | 498 | 446 | 47.9% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Samuel Sevian's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Samuel Sevian's side.
First moves as White (1,862 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 1,216 | 65.3% | 66.7% |
| d4 | 329 | 17.7% | 68.1% |
| c4 | 229 | 12.3% | 70.1% |
| Nf3 | 49 | 2.6% | 68.4% |
| b3 | 18 | 1.0% | 63.9% |
| f4 | 6 | 0.3% | 83.3% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 65% of White games, 66.7% score
- …c5 (35% of these games) — Sevian usually continues Nf3 (67.1% score)
- …e5 (35% of these games) — Sevian usually continues Nf3 (63.2% score)
- …e6 (12% of these games) — Sevian usually continues d4 (67.5% score)
- 1.d4 — 18% of White games, 68.1% score
- …Nf6 (65% of these games) — Sevian usually continues c4 (69.9% score)
- …d5 (27% of these games) — Sevian usually continues c4 (67.2% score)
- …d6 (2% of these games) — Sevian usually continues e4 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (763 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 427 | 56.0% | 58.9% |
| c5 | 140 | 18.3% | 68.6% |
| c6 | 105 | 13.8% | 68.6% |
| e6 | 51 | 6.7% | 58.8% |
| g6 | 9 | 1.2% | 72.2% |
| d6 | 7 | 0.9% | 71.4% |
As Black against 1.d4 (644 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 541 | 84.0% | 62.2% |
| d5 | 61 | 9.5% | 52.5% |
| g6 | 11 | 1.7% | 63.6% |
| e6 | 6 | 0.9% | 66.7% |
| f5 | 6 | 0.9% | 66.7% |
| b5 | 6 | 0.9% | 50.0% |
Samuel Sevian's chess games
All 3,675 games by Samuel Sevian in the Chess.ceo database (Nov 2009 - 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: 1,880 wins, 985 draws, 810 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B40 | Sicilian | 206 | 123/39/44 | 59.7% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 111 | 54/25/32 | 48.6% |
| C55 | Italian Game | 101 | 47/26/28 | 46.5% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 89 | 45/31/13 | 50.6% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 83 | 46/23/14 | 55.4% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 66 | 34/19/13 | 51.5% |
| C65 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 56 | 17/24/15 | 30.4% |
| C95 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 51 | 24/19/8 | 47.1% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 50 | 25/11/14 | 50.0% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 47 | 20/19/8 | 42.6% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A20 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 104 | 37/43/24 | 35.6% |
| D02 | Réti Opening | 87 | 42/24/21 | 48.3% |
| D44 | Slav Defense | 73 | 24/28/21 | 32.9% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 73 | 36/15/22 | 49.3% |
| C77 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 69 | 26/20/23 | 37.7% |
| E04 | Catalan | 66 | 23/34/9 | 34.8% |
| C50 | Italian Game | 59 | 31/11/17 | 52.5% |
| C88 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 53 | 20/21/12 | 37.7% |
| B40 | Sicilian | 51 | 30/15/6 | 58.8% |
| D38 | Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense | 50 | 13/25/12 | 26.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,840 | Titled Tue 19th May 2026 | B72 |
| Jan 2020 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,822 | PRO League Stage | C77 |
| Jan 2019 | Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | 2,817 | PRO League Stage | D30 |
| Apr 2025 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2,804 | Titled Tue Early | C55 |
| Dec 2024 | Erigaisi Arjun | 2,801 | World Rapid 2024 | D38 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 1,209 | 887.5 | 2,648 |
| 1st 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 66 | 46 | 2,612 |
| ch-USA | 2023 | 66 | 33.5 | 2,655 |
| PRO League Stage | 2020 | 61 | 37 | 2,639 |
| Bullet Chess Winners | 2024 | 60 | 33.5 | 2,696 |
| chess.com Speed U20 | 2019 | 48 | 24.5 | 2,648 |
| FIDE World Cup | 2025 | 47 | 25.5 | 2,662 |
| 3rd 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 44 | 31 | 2,646 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Alireza Firouzja (70 games) · Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara (47 games) · Wesley So (47 games) · Levon Aronian (46 games) · Jeffery Xiong (44 games) · Nihal Sarin (40 games) · Alexey Sarana (35 games) · Fabiano Caruana (30 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 3,675 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Samuel Sevian's chess games?
3,675 games by Samuel Sevian, from Nov 2009 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 Samuel Sevian has played.
What does Samuel Sevian play on the first move as White?
Across 1,862 games with White in our database, Samuel Sevian opens with 1.e4 (65% of games), 1.d4 (18% of games), 1.c4 (12% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Samuel Sevian answers 1...e5 (56% of games), 1...c5 (18% of games), 1...c6 (14% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (84% of games), 1...d5 (9% of games), 1...g6 (2% of games).
What openings does Samuel Sevian play as White?
As White, Samuel Sevian's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (206 games, 59.7% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (111 games, 48.6% win rate); Italian Game (101 games, 46.5% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,862 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Samuel Sevian play as Black?
As Black, Samuel Sevian most often plays: English Opening: Reverse Sicilian (104 games, 35.6% win rate); Réti Opening (87 games, 48.3% win rate); Slav Defense (73 games, 32.9% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,813 games.
What is Samuel Sevian's FIDE rating?
Samuel Sevian is currently rated 2,708 in classical chess, 2,664 in rapid and 2,658 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,708 (Sep 2026).
How many games has Samuel Sevian played?
Our database contains 3,675 games by Samuel Sevian, covering Nov 2009 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 1,880 wins, 985 draws, 810 losses (51.2% win rate).
How do I prepare against Samuel Sevian?
3,675 games by Samuel Sevian 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.