Prepare against Sergei Movsesian
GM · Armenia · World #168 classical · FIDE ID 310204
When preparing against Sergei Movsesian, expect 1.e4 in 81% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (84% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (72%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Slav Defense as Black, 18.2% over 242 games.
Our database contains 3,699 games by Sergei Movsesian, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Sergei Movsesian's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Sergei Movsesian 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 | 2,594 | 2,751 | Jan 2009 |
| Rapid | 2,595 | 2,725 | Mar 2016 |
| Blitz | 2,620 | 2,730 | Jun 2014 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3,699 | 1,631 | 1,466 | 601 | 44.1% |
| As White | 1,897 | 982 | 675 | 239 | 51.8% |
| As Black | 1,802 | 649 | 791 | 362 | 36.0% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Sergei Movsesian's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Sergei Movsesian's side.
First moves as White (1,893 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 1,533 | 81.0% | 69.6% |
| Nf3 | 156 | 8.2% | 73.4% |
| c4 | 105 | 5.5% | 62.4% |
| d4 | 52 | 2.7% | 72.1% |
| g3 | 45 | 2.4% | 68.9% |
| b3 | 2 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 81% of White games, 69.6% score
- …c5 (42% of these games) — Movsesian usually continues Nf3 (68.9% score)
- …e5 (29% of these games) — Movsesian usually continues Nf3 (65.3% score)
- …e6 (11% of these games) — Movsesian usually continues d4 (72.2% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 8% of White games, 73.4% score
- …d5 (56% of these games) — Movsesian usually continues g3 (77.4% score)
- …Nf6 (30% of these games) — Movsesian usually continues g3 (66.3% score)
- …c5 (8% of these games) — Movsesian usually continues e4 (85.7% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (741 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 620 | 83.7% | 59.4% |
| Nf6 | 39 | 5.3% | 61.5% |
| d6 | 31 | 4.2% | 56.5% |
| e5 | 29 | 3.9% | 44.8% |
| c6 | 13 | 1.8% | 42.3% |
| e6 | 7 | 0.9% | 42.9% |
As Black against 1.d4 (774 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 554 | 71.6% | 59.1% |
| d5 | 181 | 23.4% | 49.4% |
| e6 | 22 | 2.8% | 38.6% |
| d6 | 15 | 1.9% | 60.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| c5 | 1 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
Sergei Movsesian's chess games
All 3,699 games by Sergei Movsesian 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: 1,631 wins, 1,466 draws, 601 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B53 | Sicilian | 291 | 169/82/40 | 58.1% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 116 | 47/53/16 | 40.5% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 100 | 63/26/11 | 63.0% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 98 | 56/29/13 | 57.1% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 87 | 53/28/6 | 60.9% |
| C84 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 65 | 26/33/6 | 40.0% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 63 | 39/15/9 | 61.9% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 57 | 27/26/4 | 47.4% |
| C55 | Italian Game | 54 | 20/23/11 | 37.0% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 53 | 28/19/6 | 52.8% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B46 | Sicilian | 291 | 127/110/54 | 43.6% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 242 | 44/151/47 | 18.2% |
| E94 | Indian Defense | 156 | 90/45/21 | 57.7% |
| B48 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 119 | 33/56/30 | 27.7% |
| B81 | Sicilian: Scheveningen | 76 | 27/35/14 | 35.5% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 66 | 18/34/14 | 27.3% |
| D38 | Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense | 64 | 20/37/7 | 31.3% |
| E05 | Catalan | 57 | 12/32/13 | 21.1% |
| A25 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 54 | 27/13/14 | 50.0% |
| A11 | Réti Opening | 50 | 22/20/8 | 44.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2010 | Veselin Topalov | 2,803 | Olympiad-39 | B51 |
| Nov 2010 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,802 | 5th Wch Blitz | C84 |
| Aug 2008 | Vladimir Kramnik | 2,788 | Moscow Tal Memorial Blitz | C54 |
| Aug 2008 | Alexander Morozevich | 2,788 | Moscow Tal Memorial Blitz | D15 |
| Jan 2009 | Vassily Ivanchuk | 2,779 | Corus | B83 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2024 | 141 | 87.5 | 2,548 |
| ch-EU blitz | 2016 | 94 | 67 | 2,655 |
| Wch Rapid | 2021 | 54 | 29.5 | 2,687 |
| ch-EU rapid | 2016 | 51 | 37.5 | 2,660 |
| chT-CRO | 2007 | 49 | 28 | 2,622 |
| PRO League Stage | 2020 | 46 | 21.5 | 2,549 |
| Wch Blitz | 2021 | 42 | 21 | 2,594 |
| 5th Wch Blitz | 2010 | 38 | 17.5 | 2,699 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: David Navara (55 games) · Zbynek Hracek (35 games) · Lubomir Ftacnik (25 games) · Jon Ludvig Hammer (17 games) · Alexei Shirov (17 games) · Pavel V. Tregubov (16 games) · Pavel Eljanov (16 games) · Ruslan Ponomariov (16 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 3,699 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Sergei Movsesian's chess games?
3,699 games by Sergei Movsesian, 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 Sergei Movsesian has played.
What does Sergei Movsesian play on the first move as White?
Across 1,893 games with White in our database, Sergei Movsesian opens with 1.e4 (81% of games), 1.Nf3 (8% of games), 1.c4 (6% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Sergei Movsesian answers 1...c5 (84% of games), 1...Nf6 (5% of games), 1...d6 (4% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (72% of games), 1...d5 (23% of games), 1...e6 (3% of games).
What openings does Sergei Movsesian play as White?
As White, Sergei Movsesian's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (291 games, 58.1% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (116 games, 40.5% win rate); French: Advance Variation (100 games, 63.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,897 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Sergei Movsesian play as Black?
As Black, Sergei Movsesian most often plays: Sicilian (291 games, 43.6% win rate); Slav Defense (242 games, 18.2% win rate); Indian Defense (156 games, 57.7% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,802 games.
What is Sergei Movsesian's FIDE rating?
Sergei Movsesian is currently rated 2,594 in classical chess, 2,595 in rapid and 2,620 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,751 (Jan 2009).
How many games has Sergei Movsesian played?
Our database contains 3,699 games by Sergei Movsesian, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 1,631 wins, 1,466 draws, 601 losses (44.1% win rate).
How do I prepare against Sergei Movsesian?
3,699 games by Sergei Movsesian 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.