Prepare against Vahan Nalbandyan
CM · Armenia · World #10,385 classical · FIDE ID 13309439
When preparing against Vahan Nalbandyan, expect 1.e4 in 53% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (47% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (79%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense as Black, 13.3% over 15 games.
Our database contains 640 games by Vahan Nalbandyan, covering Nov 2014 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Vahan Nalbandyan's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Vahan Nalbandyan 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 | 2,164 | 2,223 | Nov 2024 |
| Rapid | 2,010 | 2,014 | Jan 2020 |
| Blitz | 2,117 | 2,149 | Feb 2019 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 640 | 289 | 44 | 307 | 45.2% |
| As White | 323 | 159 | 24 | 140 | 49.2% |
| As Black | 317 | 130 | 20 | 167 | 41.0% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Vahan Nalbandyan's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Vahan Nalbandyan's side.
First moves as White (323 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 171 | 52.9% | 53.5% |
| d4 | 111 | 34.4% | 54.5% |
| Nf3 | 34 | 10.5% | 47.1% |
| c4 | 6 | 1.9% | 33.3% |
| f4 | 1 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 53% of White games, 53.5% score
- …c5 (40% of these games) — Nalbandyan usually continues Nf3 (51.0% score)
- …e5 (19% of these games) — Nalbandyan usually continues Nf3 (70.0% score)
- …e6 (15% of these games) — Nalbandyan usually continues d4 (70.0% score)
- 1.d4 — 34% of White games, 54.5% score
- …Nf6 (60% of these games) — Nalbandyan usually continues Nc3 (64.9% score)
- …d5 (24% of these games) — Nalbandyan usually continues Nc3 (72.7% score)
- …e6 (4% of these games) — Nalbandyan usually continues Nf3 (33.3% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (131 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 62 | 47.3% | 33.9% |
| c5 | 37 | 28.2% | 58.1% |
| c6 | 20 | 15.3% | 57.5% |
| d6 | 10 | 7.6% | 65.0% |
| g6 | 2 | 1.5% | 75.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (116 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 92 | 79.3% | 49.5% |
| d5 | 18 | 15.5% | 22.2% |
| c5 | 2 | 1.7% | 0.0% |
| e5 | 1 | 0.9% | 100.0% |
| e6 | 1 | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.9% | 0.0% |
Vahan Nalbandyan's chess games
All 640 games by Vahan Nalbandyan in the Chess.ceo database (Nov 2014 - 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: 289 wins, 44 draws, 307 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A45 | Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation | 41 | 27/4/10 | 65.9% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 20 | 6/1/13 | 30.0% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 19 | 6/0/13 | 31.6% |
| B40 | Sicilian | 18 | 10/0/8 | 55.6% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 16 | 6/2/8 | 37.5% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 16 | 8/1/7 | 50.0% |
| E06 | Catalan | 15 | 6/1/8 | 40.0% |
| C00 | French Defense | 13 | 7/0/6 | 53.8% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 13 | 6/0/7 | 46.2% |
| A42 | Modern Defense | 12 | 3/2/7 | 25.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A05 | Réti Opening | 26 | 11/1/14 | 42.3% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 20 | 6/1/13 | 30.0% |
| A58 | Benoni Defense | 19 | 9/0/10 | 47.4% |
| A30 | English Opening | 16 | 6/3/7 | 37.5% |
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 15 | 2/1/12 | 13.3% |
| A30 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 13 | 3/0/10 | 23.1% |
| C55 | Italian Game | 12 | 4/1/7 | 33.3% |
| E61 | King's Indian Defense | 12 | 6/0/6 | 50.0% |
| A45 | London System | 10 | 2/2/6 | 20.0% |
| E91 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 9 | 4/1/4 | 44.4% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | Dmitrij Kollars | 2,642 | Titled Tue | E06 |
| Apr 2026 | Haik M. Martirosyan | 2,633 | 3rd 3-0 Thursday | B32 |
| Sep 2025 | Samvel Ter-Sahakyan | 2,611 | Titled Tue | C70 |
| Dec 2025 | Ngoc Truong Son Nguyen | 2,600 | 3rd 3-0 Thursday | C67 |
| Apr 2026 | Bharath Subramaniyam H | 2,589 | 3rd 3-0 Thursday | C50 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 367 | 185 | 2,259 |
| 3rd 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 65 | 31.5 | 2,232 |
| 2nd 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 54 | 25 | 2,229 |
| 3rd 3-0 Thu 18th Jun 2026 | 2026 | 11 | 4 | 2,073 |
| 2nd 3-0 Thu 13th Aug 2026 | 2026 | 11 | 4.5 | 2,129 |
| 25th ch-EUR Indiv | 2025 | 11 | 5.5 | 2,173 |
| 3rd 3-0 Thu 20th Aug 2026 | 2026 | 11 | 4 | 2,076 |
| 2nd 3-0 Thu 6th Aug 2026 | 2026 | 11 | 4 | 2,042 |
Interactive opening tree from all 640 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Vahan Nalbandyan's chess games?
640 games by Vahan Nalbandyan, from Nov 2014 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 Vahan Nalbandyan has played.
What does Vahan Nalbandyan play on the first move as White?
Across 323 games with White in our database, Vahan Nalbandyan opens with 1.e4 (53% of games), 1.d4 (34% of games), 1.Nf3 (11% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Vahan Nalbandyan answers 1...e5 (47% of games), 1...c5 (28% of games), 1...c6 (15% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (79% of games), 1...d5 (16% of games), 1...c5 (2% of games).
What openings does Vahan Nalbandyan play as White?
As White, Vahan Nalbandyan's most-played openings in our database are: Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation (41 games, 65.9% win rate); Queen's Pawn Game (20 games, 30.0% win rate); Sicilian: Alapin (19 games, 31.6% win rate). The full breakdown of 323 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Vahan Nalbandyan play as Black?
As Black, Vahan Nalbandyan most often plays: Réti Opening (26 games, 42.3% win rate); Indian Defense (20 games, 30.0% win rate); Benoni Defense (19 games, 47.4% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 317 games.
What is Vahan Nalbandyan's FIDE rating?
Vahan Nalbandyan is currently rated 2,164 in classical chess, 2,010 in rapid and 2,117 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,223 (Nov 2024).
How many games has Vahan Nalbandyan played?
Our database contains 640 games by Vahan Nalbandyan, covering Nov 2014 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 289 wins, 44 draws, 307 losses (45.2% win rate).
How do I prepare against Vahan Nalbandyan?
640 games by Vahan Nalbandyan 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.