Prepare against Sasho Nikolov
IM · BGR · World #7,776 classical · FIDE ID 2900297
When preparing against Sasho Nikolov, expect 1.d4 in 51% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (42% of games); against 1.d4, 1...d5 (42%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Catalan as Black, 21.4% over 28 games.
Our database contains 1,460 games by Sasho Nikolov, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Sasho Nikolov's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Sasho Nikolov 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 | 2,210 | 2,458 | Nov 2010 |
| Rapid | 2,275 | 2,411 | Nov 2012 |
| Blitz | 2,241 | 2,412 | Apr 2013 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,460 | 712 | 321 | 427 | 48.8% |
| As White | 732 | 390 | 148 | 194 | 53.3% |
| As Black | 728 | 322 | 173 | 233 | 44.2% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Sasho Nikolov's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Sasho Nikolov's side.
First moves as White (732 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 375 | 51.2% | 61.6% |
| e4 | 296 | 40.4% | 65.4% |
| c4 | 31 | 4.2% | 71.0% |
| Nf3 | 28 | 3.8% | 58.9% |
| g3 | 2 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 51% of White games, 61.6% score
- …Nf6 (54% of these games) — Nikolov usually continues c4 (57.5% score)
- …d5 (32% of these games) — Nikolov usually continues c4 (67.8% score)
- …d6 (4% of these games) — Nikolov usually continues e4 (65.0% score)
- 1.e4 — 40% of White games, 65.4% score
- …c5 (46% of these games) — Nikolov usually continues Nf3 (68.1% score)
- …e5 (20% of these games) — Nikolov usually continues Nf3 (65.5% score)
- …e6 (13% of these games) — Nikolov usually continues d4 (69.4% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (351 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 149 | 42.5% | 61.1% |
| e5 | 68 | 19.4% | 37.5% |
| c6 | 59 | 16.8% | 54.2% |
| d5 | 41 | 11.7% | 62.2% |
| d6 | 20 | 5.7% | 70.0% |
| e6 | 9 | 2.6% | 38.9% |
As Black against 1.d4 (232 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 97 | 41.8% | 43.3% |
| Nf6 | 70 | 30.2% | 49.3% |
| d6 | 23 | 9.9% | 67.4% |
| g6 | 20 | 8.6% | 60.0% |
| f5 | 10 | 4.3% | 85.0% |
| e6 | 9 | 3.9% | 50.0% |
Sasho Nikolov's chess games
All 1,460 games by Sasho Nikolov in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - 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: 712 wins, 321 draws, 427 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D17 | Slav Defense | 57 | 28/15/14 | 49.1% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 54 | 34/9/11 | 63.0% |
| B42 | Sicilian | 50 | 28/11/11 | 56.0% |
| D36 | Indian Defense | 45 | 27/12/6 | 60.0% |
| A70 | Benoni Defense | 41 | 19/7/15 | 46.3% |
| E54 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 30 | 15/6/9 | 50.0% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 25 | 10/5/10 | 40.0% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 23 | 10/5/8 | 43.5% |
| B08 | Pirc Defense | 21 | 9/4/8 | 42.9% |
| C90 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 19 | 6/3/10 | 31.6% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A42 | Modern Defense | 55 | 37/8/10 | 67.3% |
| D46 | Slav Defense | 51 | 16/11/24 | 31.4% |
| B48 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 44 | 27/8/9 | 61.4% |
| B01 | Scandinavian Defense: Main Line | 40 | 20/9/11 | 50.0% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 39 | 9/14/16 | 23.1% |
| B44 | Sicilian | 37 | 17/6/14 | 45.9% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 29 | 11/8/10 | 37.9% |
| E09 | Catalan | 28 | 6/8/14 | 21.4% |
| D31 | Semi-Slav Defense | 25 | 11/4/10 | 44.0% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 21 | 12/5/4 | 57.1% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2004 | Zdenko Kozul | 2,630 | 15th Ljubljana Open | D12 |
| Jul 2012 | Aleksander Delchev | 2,598 | 6th Varna Open | B87 |
| Jul 2020 | Pier Luigi Basso | 2,596 | Plovdiv Tringov Memorial 42nd | E15 |
| Oct 2001 | Vladimir Georgiev | 2,584 | chT-BUL | C01 |
| Oct 2011 | Momchil Nikolov | 2,578 | 19th Skopje Open | A70 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plovdiv Tringov Memorial | 2009 | 37 | 23.5 | 2,399 |
| ch-BUL | 2023 | 30 | 15 | 2,401 |
| Skopje Karposh Open | 2016 | 30 | 15 | 2,291 |
| Primorsko Open | 2021 | 28 | 17.5 | 2,359 |
| Portoroz Open | 2004 | 27 | 18.5 | 2,461 |
| chT-BUL | 2002 | 24 | 15.5 | 2,506 |
| Albena Open | 2017 | 16 | 9.5 | 2,209 |
| ch-BUL 36 | 1982 | 15 | 6.5 | 2,348 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Momchil Nikolov (16 games) · Aleksander Delchev (13 games) · Boris Chatalbashev (12 games) · Vasil Spasov (11 games) · Kiril Georgiev (10 games) · Ivajlo Enchev (10 games) · Radoslav Dimitrov (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,460 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Sasho Nikolov's chess games?
1,460 games by Sasho Nikolov, from Apr 2003 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 Sasho Nikolov has played.
What does Sasho Nikolov play on the first move as White?
Across 732 games with White in our database, Sasho Nikolov opens with 1.d4 (51% of games), 1.e4 (40% of games), 1.c4 (4% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Sasho Nikolov answers 1...c5 (42% of games), 1...e5 (19% of games), 1...c6 (17% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (42% of games), 1...Nf6 (30% of games), 1...d6 (10% of games).
What openings does Sasho Nikolov play as White?
As White, Sasho Nikolov's most-played openings in our database are: Slav Defense (57 games, 49.1% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (54 games, 63.0% win rate); Sicilian (50 games, 56.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 732 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Sasho Nikolov play as Black?
As Black, Sasho Nikolov most often plays: Modern Defense (55 games, 67.3% win rate); Slav Defense (51 games, 31.4% win rate); Sicilian: Taimanov (44 games, 61.4% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 728 games.
What is Sasho Nikolov's FIDE rating?
Sasho Nikolov is currently rated 2,210 in classical chess, 2,275 in rapid and 2,241 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,458 (Nov 2010).
How many games has Sasho Nikolov played?
Our database contains 1,460 games by Sasho Nikolov, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 712 wins, 321 draws, 427 losses (48.8% win rate).
How do I prepare against Sasho Nikolov?
1,460 games by Sasho Nikolov 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.