Prepare against Sasha-Matei Craciun
FM · Romania · World #5,368 classical · FIDE ID 1281186
When preparing against Sasha-Matei Craciun, expect 1.e4 in 96% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (57% of games); against 1.d4, 1...d5 (58%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Ruy Lopez: Closed as Black, 26.3% over 19 games.
Our database contains 680 games by Sasha-Matei Craciun, covering Aug 2017 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Sasha-Matei Craciun's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Sasha-Matei Craciun 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 | 2,263 | 2,325 | Mar 2025 |
| Rapid | 2,236 | 2,314 | Feb 2025 |
| Blitz | 2,277 | 2,321 | Aug 2025 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 680 | 261 | 125 | 294 | 38.4% |
| As White | 339 | 140 | 66 | 133 | 41.3% |
| As Black | 341 | 121 | 59 | 161 | 35.5% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Sasha-Matei Craciun's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Sasha-Matei Craciun's side.
First moves as White (339 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 327 | 96.5% | 51.2% |
| Nf3 | 12 | 3.5% | 45.8% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 96% of White games, 51.2% score
- …c5 (45% of these games) — Craciun usually continues Nf3 (56.8% score)
- …e5 (20% of these games) — Craciun usually continues Nf3 (40.2% score)
- …e6 (11% of these games) — Craciun usually continues d4 (59.1% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 4% of White games, 45.8% score
- …d5 (50% of these games) — Craciun usually continues e3 (25.0% score)
- …c5 (17% of these games) — Craciun usually continues c4 (0.0% score)
- …d6 (8% of these games) — Craciun usually continues e3 (0.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (138 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 79 | 57.2% | 44.3% |
| c5 | 55 | 39.9% | 40.9% |
| e6 | 2 | 1.4% | 100.0% |
| g6 | 2 | 1.4% | 25.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (124 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 72 | 58.1% | 58.3% |
| Nf6 | 49 | 39.5% | 41.8% |
| g6 | 3 | 2.4% | 50.0% |
Sasha-Matei Craciun's chess games
All 680 games by Sasha-Matei Craciun in the Chess.ceo database (Aug 2017 - 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: 261 wins, 125 draws, 294 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B40 | Sicilian | 61 | 29/11/21 | 47.5% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 30 | 14/6/10 | 46.7% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 13 | 6/1/6 | 46.2% |
| C10 | French Defense | 11 | 10/0/1 | 90.9% |
| C70 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 11 | 4/3/4 | 36.4% |
| B00 | Pirc Defense | 11 | 5/4/2 | 45.5% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 11 | 4/4/3 | 36.4% |
| B30 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 10 | 6/0/4 | 60.0% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 10 | 4/4/2 | 40.0% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 9 | 3/1/5 | 33.3% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 33 | 11/4/18 | 33.3% |
| B28 | Sicilian | 29 | 16/1/12 | 55.2% |
| E06 | Catalan | 22 | 11/4/7 | 50.0% |
| C92 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 19 | 5/7/7 | 26.3% |
| D31 | Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense | 16 | 5/7/4 | 31.3% |
| E16 | Queen's Indian Defense | 14 | 7/0/7 | 50.0% |
| A15 | English Opening | 14 | 5/4/5 | 35.7% |
| C54 | Italian Game: Classical Variation | 13 | 3/3/7 | 23.1% |
| D02 | London System | 13 | 7/2/4 | 53.8% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 12 | 3/3/6 | 25.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2024 | Alexei Shirov | 2,666 | Titled Tue Late | C78 |
| Oct 2024 | Vladimir Malakhov | 2,642 | Titled Tue Late | A06 |
| Jun 2026 | Bacrot,E | 2,626 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 25th Jun 2026 | B67 |
| Jan 2026 | Cristobal Henriquez Villagra | 2,603 | 2nd 3-0 Thursday | B28 |
| Dec 2025 | Dennis Wagner | 2,600 | 2nd 3-0 Thursday | C56 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 214 | 110.5 | 2,284 |
| 2nd 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 128 | 50.5 | 2,181 |
| 1st 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 45 | 18.5 | 2,186 |
| ch-ROM | 2024 | 19 | 7 | 2,083 |
| 25th European Youth Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship | Blitz | O18 | 2026 | 16 | 9 | 2,246 |
| ch-ROM U14 | 2022 | 15 | 9.5 | 1,868 |
| 25th ch-EUR Indiv | 2025 | 11 | 5.5 | 2,293 |
| 2nd 3-0 Thu 25th Jun 2026 | 2026 | 11 | 6.5 | 2,428 |
Interactive opening tree from all 680 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Sasha-Matei Craciun's chess games?
680 games by Sasha-Matei Craciun, from Aug 2017 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 Sasha-Matei Craciun has played.
What does Sasha-Matei Craciun play on the first move as White?
Across 339 games with White in our database, Sasha-Matei Craciun opens with 1.e4 (96% of games), 1.Nf3 (4% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Sasha-Matei Craciun answers 1...e5 (57% of games), 1...c5 (40% of games), 1...e6 (1% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (58% of games), 1...Nf6 (40% of games), 1...g6 (2% of games).
What openings does Sasha-Matei Craciun play as White?
As White, Sasha-Matei Craciun's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (61 games, 47.5% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (30 games, 46.7% win rate); Sicilian: Moscow Variation (13 games, 46.2% win rate). The full breakdown of 339 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Sasha-Matei Craciun play as Black?
As Black, Sasha-Matei Craciun most often plays: Indian Defense (33 games, 33.3% win rate); Sicilian (29 games, 55.2% win rate); Catalan (22 games, 50.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 341 games.
What is Sasha-Matei Craciun's FIDE rating?
Sasha-Matei Craciun is currently rated 2,263 in classical chess, 2,236 in rapid and 2,277 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,325 (Mar 2025).
How many games has Sasha-Matei Craciun played?
Our database contains 680 games by Sasha-Matei Craciun, covering Aug 2017 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 261 wins, 125 draws, 294 losses (38.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against Sasha-Matei Craciun?
680 games by Sasha-Matei Craciun 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.