Prepare against Tapani Sammalvuo
IM · Finland · World #2,392 classical · FIDE ID 501115
When preparing against Tapani Sammalvuo, expect 1.e4 in 41% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (58% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (75%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: English Opening as Black, 28.6% over 35 games.
Our database contains 1,773 games by Tapani Sammalvuo, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Tapani Sammalvuo's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Tapani Sammalvuo 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 | 2,363 | 2,492 | Nov 2011 |
| Rapid | 2,432 | 2,490 | Dec 2013 |
| Blitz | 2,505 | 2,505 | Aug 2026 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,773 | 797 | 580 | 394 | 45.0% |
| As White | 886 | 433 | 283 | 169 | 48.9% |
| As Black | 887 | 364 | 297 | 225 | 41.0% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Tapani Sammalvuo's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Tapani Sammalvuo's side.
First moves as White (886 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 365 | 41.2% | 62.1% |
| d4 | 340 | 38.4% | 66.8% |
| Nf3 | 149 | 16.8% | 65.8% |
| c4 | 25 | 2.8% | 80.0% |
| a3 | 3 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
| Nc3 | 1 | 0.1% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 41% of White games, 62.1% score
- …c5 (42% of these games) — Sammalvuo usually continues Nf3 (59.8% score)
- …e5 (27% of these games) — Sammalvuo usually continues Nf3 (53.3% score)
- …e6 (12% of these games) — Sammalvuo usually continues d4 (75.9% score)
- 1.d4 — 38% of White games, 66.8% score
- …Nf6 (60% of these games) — Sammalvuo usually continues c4 (63.3% score)
- …d5 (24% of these games) — Sammalvuo usually continues c4 (70.3% score)
- …e6 (6% of these games) — Sammalvuo usually continues c4 (72.7% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (404 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 234 | 57.9% | 59.2% |
| e5 | 136 | 33.7% | 49.3% |
| e6 | 19 | 4.7% | 73.7% |
| d6 | 8 | 2.0% | 43.8% |
| c6 | 4 | 1.0% | 75.0% |
| Nc6 | 1 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (318 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 239 | 75.2% | 59.8% |
| d5 | 52 | 16.4% | 48.1% |
| e6 | 17 | 5.3% | 55.9% |
| c5 | 4 | 1.3% | 87.5% |
| g6 | 3 | 0.9% | 50.0% |
| d6 | 2 | 0.6% | 50.0% |
Tapani Sammalvuo's chess games
All 1,773 games by Tapani Sammalvuo 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: 797 wins, 580 draws, 394 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D13 | Slav Defense | 60 | 33/19/8 | 55.0% |
| B44 | Sicilian | 59 | 24/17/18 | 40.7% |
| D58 | Indian Defense | 49 | 28/12/9 | 57.1% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 39 | 16/16/7 | 41.0% |
| A16 | English Opening | 37 | 20/12/5 | 54.1% |
| B80 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 36 | 18/9/9 | 50.0% |
| E08 | Catalan | 29 | 15/9/5 | 51.7% |
| A70 | Benoni Defense | 29 | 14/9/6 | 48.3% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 28 | 12/13/3 | 42.9% |
| A30 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 26 | 10/10/6 | 38.5% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 75 | 30/27/18 | 40.0% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 74 | 32/21/21 | 43.2% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 45 | 23/10/12 | 51.1% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 42 | 17/15/10 | 40.5% |
| C95 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 40 | 15/16/9 | 37.5% |
| E05 | Catalan | 39 | 20/11/8 | 51.3% |
| A17 | English Opening | 35 | 10/11/13 | 28.6% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 33 | 17/11/5 | 51.5% |
| E46 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 29 | 13/6/10 | 44.8% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 26 | 10/8/8 | 38.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2017 | Markus Ragger | 2,657 | ch-EU blitz | D30 |
| Dec 2017 | Sergey Volkov | 2,645 | 47th Rilton Cup | E25 |
| Aug 2017 | Igor Kovalenko | 2,640 | LTU-ch Rapid Open | D66 |
| Nov 2008 | Simen Agdestein | 2,588 | Olympiad-38 | E13 |
| Dec 2017 | Rainer Buhmann | 2,584 | ch-EU blitz | D48 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki Open | 2002 | 70 | 42 | 2,343 |
| ch-FIN | 2018 | 64 | 34.5 | 2,371 |
| Helsinki | 1995 | 32 | 12 | 2,351 |
| ch-Helsinki | 2000 | 31 | 20 | 2,371 |
| chT-FIN | 1994 | 29 | 21 | 2,443 |
| Tampere Elo Taraus Open | 1998 | 23 | 16 | 2,456 |
| Espoo Open | 1992 | 20 | 9.5 | 2,297 |
| ch-EU blitz | 2017 | 19 | 11.5 | 2,421 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Kalle Kiik (25 games) · Joose Norri (19 games) · Mikael Agopov (16 games) · Mika Karttunen (15 games) · Tero Kokkila (14 games) · Olav Sepp (14 games) · Tommi Luukkonen (14 games) · Vilka Sipila (12 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,773 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Tapani Sammalvuo's chess games?
1,773 games by Tapani Sammalvuo, 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 Tapani Sammalvuo has played.
What does Tapani Sammalvuo play on the first move as White?
Across 886 games with White in our database, Tapani Sammalvuo opens with 1.e4 (41% of games), 1.d4 (38% of games), 1.Nf3 (17% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Tapani Sammalvuo answers 1...c5 (58% of games), 1...e5 (34% of games), 1...e6 (5% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (75% of games), 1...d5 (16% of games), 1...e6 (5% of games).
What openings does Tapani Sammalvuo play as White?
As White, Tapani Sammalvuo's most-played openings in our database are: Slav Defense (60 games, 55.0% win rate); Sicilian (59 games, 40.7% win rate); Indian Defense (49 games, 57.1% win rate). The full breakdown of 886 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Tapani Sammalvuo play as Black?
As Black, Tapani Sammalvuo most often plays: Sicilian: Najdorf (75 games, 40.0% win rate); Queen's Indian Defense (74 games, 43.2% win rate); Sicilian (45 games, 51.1% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 887 games.
What is Tapani Sammalvuo's FIDE rating?
Tapani Sammalvuo is currently rated 2,363 in classical chess, 2,432 in rapid and 2,505 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,492 (Nov 2011).
How many games has Tapani Sammalvuo played?
Our database contains 1,773 games by Tapani Sammalvuo, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 797 wins, 580 draws, 394 losses (45.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against Tapani Sammalvuo?
1,773 games by Tapani Sammalvuo 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.