Prepare against Alexander Shabalov
GM · United States · World #1,348 classical · FIDE ID 2008572
Our database contains 3,129 games by Alexander Shabalov, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Alexander Shabalov's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Alexander Shabalov 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 | 2,421 | 2,637 | Jul 2007 |
| Rapid | 2,467 | 2,570 | Mar 2017 |
| Blitz | 2,393 | 2,564 | Mar 2016 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3,129 | 1,530 | 907 | 691 | 48.9% |
| As White | 1,585 | 848 | 440 | 296 | 53.5% |
| As Black | 1,544 | 682 | 467 | 395 | 44.2% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Alexander Shabalov's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Alexander Shabalov's side.
First moves as White (1,585 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 896 | 56.5% | 69.1% |
| d4 | 453 | 28.6% | 65.1% |
| Nf3 | 120 | 7.6% | 61.7% |
| c4 | 91 | 5.7% | 68.7% |
| f4 | 22 | 1.4% | 70.5% |
| a4 | 2 | 0.1% | 75.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 57% of White games, 69.1% score
- …c5 (47% of these games) — Shabalov usually continues Nf3 (71.0% score)
- …e5 (24% of these games) — Shabalov usually continues Nf3 (61.6% score)
- …e6 (12% of these games) — Shabalov usually continues d4 (68.3% score)
- 1.d4 — 29% of White games, 65.1% score
- …Nf6 (61% of these games) — Shabalov usually continues c4 (63.1% score)
- …d5 (31% of these games) — Shabalov usually continues c4 (64.3% score)
- …f5 (3% of these games) — Shabalov usually continues g3 (88.9% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (667 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 403 | 60.4% | 62.4% |
| Nf6 | 76 | 11.4% | 60.5% |
| e6 | 48 | 7.2% | 59.4% |
| c6 | 42 | 6.3% | 45.2% |
| e5 | 41 | 6.1% | 53.7% |
| g6 | 34 | 5.1% | 64.7% |
As Black against 1.d4 (578 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 248 | 42.9% | 60.7% |
| d5 | 227 | 39.3% | 59.5% |
| e6 | 57 | 9.9% | 56.1% |
| g6 | 13 | 2.2% | 57.7% |
| f5 | 13 | 2.2% | 42.3% |
| d6 | 10 | 1.7% | 60.0% |
Alexander Shabalov's chess games
All 3,129 games by Alexander Shabalov in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - 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: 1,530 wins, 907 draws, 691 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B66 | Sicilian | 170 | 109/40/21 | 64.1% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 101 | 52/21/28 | 51.5% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 99 | 46/32/21 | 46.5% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 76 | 23/34/19 | 30.3% |
| C85 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 62 | 22/23/17 | 35.5% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 60 | 43/8/9 | 71.7% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 45 | 23/9/13 | 51.1% |
| E90 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 37 | 23/12/2 | 62.2% |
| A13 | English Opening | 37 | 23/9/5 | 62.2% |
| A05 | Réti Opening | 33 | 16/9/8 | 48.5% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D45 | Slav Defense | 186 | 79/63/44 | 42.5% |
| B32 | Sicilian | 134 | 62/37/35 | 46.3% |
| B05 | Alekhine Defense | 76 | 38/16/22 | 50.0% |
| A50 | Indian Defense | 67 | 36/22/9 | 53.7% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 63 | 29/21/13 | 46.0% |
| A61 | Benoni Defense | 52 | 21/17/14 | 40.4% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 48 | 24/12/12 | 50.0% |
| A10 | English Opening | 47 | 17/19/11 | 36.2% |
| A04 | Réti Opening | 41 | 14/12/15 | 34.1% |
| B30 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 40 | 17/13/10 | 42.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2018 | Vladimir Fedoseev | 2,724 | PRO League Stage | E06 |
| Nov 2009 | David Navara | 2,707 | FIDE World Cup | A46 |
| Aug 2001 | Alexei Shirov | 2,706 | Liepajas Rokade | C63 |
| Jul 2010 | Gata Kamsky | 2,702 | 38th World Open | D97 |
| Oct 2008 | Krishnan Sasikiran | 2,694 | 1st WMSG Rapid Team | C77 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-USA | 2017 | 142 | 80 | 2,614 |
| New York Open | 2000 | 54 | 37.5 | 2,593 |
| PRO League Stage | 2019 | 52 | 26.5 | 2,489 |
| ch-USA Seniors | 2025 | 45 | 23 | 2,499 |
| WchT Seniors 50 | 2024 | 44 | 32 | 2,562 |
| US Masters Open | 2018 | 32 | 18 | 2,498 |
| Las Vegas National Open | 2021 | 32 | 23 | 2,510 |
| Canadian Open | 2010 | 29 | 20.5 | 2,537 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Alex Yermolinsky (30 games) · Gregory Kaidanov (30 games) · Joel Benjamin (26 games) · Dmitry Gurevich (26 games) · Jaan Ehlvest (22 games) · Alexander Ivanov (16 games) · Alexander Goldin (15 games) · Varuzhan Akobian (15 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 3,129 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Alexander Shabalov's chess games?
3,129 games by Alexander Shabalov, from Apr 2003 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 Alexander Shabalov has played.
What does Alexander Shabalov play on the first move as White?
Across 1,585 games with White in our database, Alexander Shabalov opens with 1.e4 (57% of games), 1.d4 (29% of games), 1.Nf3 (8% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Alexander Shabalov answers 1...c5 (60% of games), 1...Nf6 (11% of games), 1...e6 (7% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (43% of games), 1...d5 (39% of games), 1...e6 (10% of games).
What openings does Alexander Shabalov play as White?
As White, Alexander Shabalov's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (170 games, 64.1% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (101 games, 51.5% win rate); Slav Defense (99 games, 46.5% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,585 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Alexander Shabalov play as Black?
As Black, Alexander Shabalov most often plays: Slav Defense (186 games, 42.5% win rate); Sicilian (134 games, 46.3% win rate); Alekhine Defense (76 games, 50.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,544 games.
What is Alexander Shabalov's FIDE rating?
Alexander Shabalov is currently rated 2,421 in classical chess, 2,467 in rapid and 2,393 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,637 (Jul 2007).
How many games has Alexander Shabalov played?
Our database contains 3,129 games by Alexander Shabalov, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 1,530 wins, 907 draws, 691 losses (48.9% win rate).
How do I prepare against Alexander Shabalov?
3,129 games by Alexander Shabalov 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.