Prepare against Narayanan S L
GM · India · World #279 classical · FIDE ID 5058422
When preparing against Narayanan S L, expect 1.d4 in 40% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (39% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (74%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense as White, 33.3% over 42 games.
Our database contains 3,222 games by Narayanan S L, covering Jan 2008 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Narayanan S L's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Narayanan S L 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 | 2,555 | 2,695 | May 2024 |
| Rapid | 2,570 | 2,605 | Dec 2022 |
| Blitz | 2,630 | 2,647 | Aug 2026 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3,222 | 1,648 | 876 | 698 | 51.1% |
| As White | 1,627 | 926 | 415 | 286 | 56.9% |
| As Black | 1,595 | 722 | 461 | 412 | 45.3% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Narayanan S L's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Narayanan S L's side.
First moves as White (1,627 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 647 | 39.8% | 68.5% |
| e4 | 432 | 26.6% | 67.1% |
| Nf3 | 268 | 16.5% | 69.6% |
| c4 | 134 | 8.2% | 71.3% |
| b3 | 58 | 3.6% | 76.7% |
| g3 | 22 | 1.4% | 84.1% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 40% of White games, 68.5% score
- …Nf6 (64% of these games) — L usually continues c4 (67.8% score)
- …d5 (26% of these games) — L usually continues c4 (70.8% score)
- …d6 (3% of these games) — L usually continues e4 (78.6% score)
- 1.e4 — 27% of White games, 67.1% score
- …c5 (35% of these games) — L usually continues Nf3 (64.8% score)
- …e5 (33% of these games) — L usually continues Nf3 (59.6% score)
- …c6 (13% of these games) — L usually continues d4 (75.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (730 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 283 | 38.8% | 62.2% |
| e5 | 229 | 31.4% | 52.0% |
| c6 | 116 | 15.9% | 56.5% |
| g6 | 31 | 4.2% | 67.7% |
| e6 | 28 | 3.8% | 75.0% |
| Nc6 | 15 | 2.1% | 66.7% |
As Black against 1.d4 (564 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 415 | 73.6% | 57.3% |
| d5 | 68 | 12.1% | 66.2% |
| g6 | 30 | 5.3% | 65.0% |
| c5 | 19 | 3.4% | 63.2% |
| d6 | 8 | 1.4% | 68.8% |
| f5 | 7 | 1.2% | 78.6% |
Narayanan S L's chess games
All 3,222 games by Narayanan S L in the Chess.ceo database (Jan 2008 - 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: 1,648 wins, 876 draws, 698 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 172 | 89/58/25 | 51.7% |
| D45 | Slav Defense | 99 | 53/38/8 | 53.5% |
| A13 | English Opening | 87 | 58/15/14 | 66.7% |
| A06 | Réti Opening | 79 | 44/15/20 | 55.7% |
| A01 | Nimzovich-Larsen attack | 58 | 42/5/11 | 72.4% |
| B20 | Sicilian | 56 | 33/11/12 | 58.9% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 51 | 26/18/7 | 51.0% |
| D38 | Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense | 42 | 14/21/7 | 33.3% |
| E71 | King's Indian Defense | 41 | 23/10/8 | 56.1% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 36 | 24/4/8 | 66.7% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 117 | 57/36/24 | 48.7% |
| B32 | Sicilian | 100 | 50/21/29 | 50.0% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 88 | 41/27/20 | 46.6% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 82 | 52/7/23 | 63.4% |
| A04 | Réti Opening | 68 | 31/19/18 | 45.6% |
| A34 | English Opening | 54 | 21/15/18 | 38.9% |
| E01 | Catalan | 45 | 17/21/7 | 37.8% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 40 | 18/7/15 | 45.0% |
| A28 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 39 | 15/9/15 | 38.5% |
| C70 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 39 | 14/12/13 | 35.9% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,830 | Titled Tue Early | C65 |
| Dec 2021 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,792 | Wch Blitz | C55 |
| Dec 2022 | Ian Nepomniachtchi | 2,782 | Wch Blitz | C86 |
| Dec 2025 | Praggnanandhaa R | 2,761 | World Blitz 2025 | B90 |
| Mar 2020 | Leinier Dominguez Perez | 2,758 | PRO League KO Stage | C77 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 1,163 | 813.5 | 2,587 |
| Chess24 Banter Blitz Cup | 2020 | 73 | 46.5 | 2,762 |
| Wch Blitz | 2023 | 61 | 31 | 2,571 |
| Wch Rapid | 2023 | 38 | 21.5 | 2,619 |
| PRO League Stage | 2020 | 29 | 16.5 | 2,622 |
| Qatar Masters Open | 2024 | 27 | 16.5 | 2,617 |
| FIDE World Cup | 2025 | 24 | 13.5 | 2,647 |
| FIDE Grand Swiss | 2025 | 22 | 12 | 2,696 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Alireza Firouzja (22 games) · Erigaisi Arjun (19 games) · Alexey Sarana (19 games) · Jeffery Xiong (18 games) · Olexandr Bortnyk (18 games) · Abhimanyu Puranik (17 games) · Bassem Amin (17 games) · David Navara (16 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 3,222 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Narayanan S L's chess games?
3,222 games by Narayanan S L, from Jan 2008 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 Narayanan S L has played.
What does Narayanan S L play on the first move as White?
Across 1,627 games with White in our database, Narayanan S L opens with 1.d4 (40% of games), 1.e4 (27% of games), 1.Nf3 (16% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Narayanan S L answers 1...c5 (39% of games), 1...e5 (31% of games), 1...c6 (16% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (74% of games), 1...d5 (12% of games), 1...g6 (5% of games).
What openings does Narayanan S L play as White?
As White, Narayanan S L's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (172 games, 51.7% win rate); Slav Defense (99 games, 53.5% win rate); English Opening (87 games, 66.7% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,627 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Narayanan S L play as Black?
As Black, Narayanan S L most often plays: Indian Defense (117 games, 48.7% win rate); Sicilian (100 games, 50.0% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (88 games, 46.6% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,595 games.
What is Narayanan S L's FIDE rating?
Narayanan S L is currently rated 2,555 in classical chess, 2,570 in rapid and 2,630 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,695 (May 2024).
How many games has Narayanan S L played?
Our database contains 3,222 games by Narayanan S L, covering Jan 2008 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 1,648 wins, 876 draws, 698 losses (51.1% win rate).
How do I prepare against Narayanan S L?
3,222 games by Narayanan S L 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.