Prepare against Sergei Kovtun
IM · Ukraine · World #7,519 classical · FIDE ID 4143973
Our database contains 92 games by Sergei Kovtun, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Sergei Kovtun's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Sergei Kovtun 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 | 2,214 | 2,425 | Jul 2003 |
| Rapid | 2,111 | 2,328 | Jul 2015 |
| Blitz | 2,151 | 2,263 | Sep 2012 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 92 | 33 | 20 | 39 | 35.9% |
| As White | 45 | 15 | 12 | 18 | 33.3% |
| As Black | 47 | 18 | 8 | 21 | 38.3% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Sergei Kovtun's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Sergei Kovtun's side.
First moves as White (45 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 32 | 71.1% | 50.0% |
| c4 | 7 | 15.6% | 35.7% |
| d4 | 5 | 11.1% | 50.0% |
| Nf3 | 1 | 2.2% | 0.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 71% of White games, 50.0% score
- …c5 (41% of these games) — Kovtun usually continues Nf3 (57.7% score)
- …e5 (25% of these games) — Kovtun usually continues Nf3 (42.9% score)
- …e6 (16% of these games) — Kovtun usually continues d4 (30.0% score)
- 1.c4 — 16% of White games, 35.7% score
- …Nf6 (43% of these games) — Kovtun usually continues Nc3 (50.0% score)
- …e5 (43% of these games) — Kovtun usually continues Nc3 (25.0% score)
- …f5 (14% of these games) — Kovtun usually continues Nc3 (100.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (19 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 10 | 52.6% | 30.0% |
| d5 | 5 | 26.3% | 30.0% |
| e5 | 4 | 21.1% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (20 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 16 | 80.0% | 53.1% |
| d5 | 4 | 20.0% | 50.0% |
Sergei Kovtun's chess games
All 92 games by Sergei Kovtun 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: 33 wins, 20 draws, 39 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B32 | Sicilian | 7 | 4/1/2 | 57.1% |
| A20 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 4 | 1/1/2 | 25.0% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 3 | 0/2/1 | 0.0% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| C77 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| A16 | English Opening | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| C15 | French: Winawer Variation | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| E04 | Catalan | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
| C23 | Bishop's Opening | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| B16 | Caro-Kann: Main Line | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B40 | Sicilian | 6 | 2/0/4 | 33.3% |
| A17 | English Opening | 5 | 2/1/2 | 40.0% |
| A84 | Slav Defense | 5 | 2/0/3 | 40.0% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 5 | 2/1/2 | 40.0% |
| B01 | Scandinavian Defense: Main Line | 4 | 1/0/3 | 25.0% |
| C92 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 4 | 1/2/1 | 25.0% |
| A45 | Trompowsky Attack | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| A32 | Catalan | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| A47 | Indian Defense | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| E13 | Queen's Indian Defense | 2 | 1/1/0 | 50.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1999 | Evgeny Iliushkin | 2,405 | 3rd Voronezh Open | D45 |
| Sep 2008 | Georgiy Tkachenko | 2,284 | 10th Elista Chess City Open | B16 |
| May 2009 | Vadim Tregubov | 2,237 | ch-UKR | B53 |
| Jul 2007 | Anton Skiba | 2,211 | Volgodonsk Open | B44 |
| May 2009 | Pavel Troshchenko | 2,178 | ch-UKR | B47 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-UKR sf | 1986 | 14 | 5.5 | 2,304 |
| Voroshilovgrad Open | 1989 | 11 | 6 | 2,333 |
| 10th Elista Chess City Open | 2008 | 9 | 5 | 2,142 |
| ch-UKR | 2009 | 9 | 5 | 2,302 |
| Volgodonsk Open | 2007 | 9 | 4 | 2,109 |
| 7th Zaporozhye Ermak Cup | 2011 | 9 | 5 | 2,274 |
| ch-URS Army | 1989 | 9 | 3 | 2,223 |
| Uljanovsk Bagirov Memorial | 2007 | 9 | 4 | 2,040 |
Interactive opening tree from all 92 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Sergei Kovtun's chess games?
92 games by Sergei Kovtun, 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 Sergei Kovtun has played.
What does Sergei Kovtun play on the first move as White?
Across 45 games with White in our database, Sergei Kovtun opens with 1.e4 (71% of games), 1.c4 (16% of games), 1.d4 (11% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Sergei Kovtun answers 1...c5 (53% of games), 1...d5 (26% of games), 1...e5 (21% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (80% of games), 1...d5 (20% of games).
What openings does Sergei Kovtun play as White?
As White, Sergei Kovtun's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (7 games, 57.1% win rate); English Opening: Reverse Sicilian (4 games, 25.0% win rate); Pirc Defense (3 games, 0.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 45 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Sergei Kovtun play as Black?
As Black, Sergei Kovtun most often plays: Sicilian (6 games, 33.3% win rate); English Opening (5 games, 40.0% win rate); Slav Defense (5 games, 40.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 47 games.
What is Sergei Kovtun's FIDE rating?
Sergei Kovtun is currently rated 2,214 in classical chess, 2,111 in rapid and 2,151 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,425 (Jul 2003).
How many games has Sergei Kovtun played?
Our database contains 92 games by Sergei Kovtun, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 33 wins, 20 draws, 39 losses (35.9% win rate).
How do I prepare against Sergei Kovtun?
92 games by Sergei Kovtun 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.