Prepare against Vahap Sanal
GM · Türkiye · World #335 classical · FIDE ID 6300545
When preparing against Vahap Sanal, expect 1.e4 in 73% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (54% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (57%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Italian Game as Black, 39.7% over 68 games.
Our database contains 4,200 games by Vahap Sanal, covering Jan 2008 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Vahap Sanal's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Vahap Sanal 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 | 2,544 | 2,608 | Nov 2023 |
| Rapid | 2,539 | 2,597 | Dec 2019 |
| Blitz | 2,552 | 2,637 | Dec 2023 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4,200 | 2,282 | 736 | 1,182 | 54.3% |
| As White | 2,111 | 1,224 | 360 | 527 | 58.0% |
| As Black | 2,089 | 1,058 | 376 | 655 | 50.6% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Vahap Sanal's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Vahap Sanal's side.
First moves as White (2,110 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 1,543 | 73.1% | 67.4% |
| Nf3 | 344 | 16.3% | 63.8% |
| d4 | 145 | 6.9% | 63.8% |
| c4 | 53 | 2.5% | 69.8% |
| b3 | 11 | 0.5% | 81.8% |
| g3 | 6 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 73% of White games, 67.4% score
- …c5 (41% of these games) — Sanal usually continues Nf3 (65.9% score)
- …e5 (27% of these games) — Sanal usually continues Nf3 (65.6% score)
- …e6 (12% of these games) — Sanal usually continues d4 (71.6% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 16% of White games, 63.8% score
- …d5 (43% of these games) — Sanal usually continues g3 (66.7% score)
- …Nf6 (40% of these games) — Sanal usually continues g3 (62.8% score)
- …c5 (7% of these games) — Sanal usually continues e4 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (926 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 496 | 53.6% | 56.1% |
| d6 | 185 | 20.0% | 67.8% |
| c5 | 178 | 19.2% | 67.1% |
| g6 | 31 | 3.3% | 79.0% |
| e6 | 17 | 1.8% | 82.4% |
| Nc6 | 12 | 1.3% | 54.2% |
As Black against 1.d4 (777 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 444 | 57.1% | 58.3% |
| d6 | 158 | 20.3% | 62.7% |
| d5 | 129 | 16.6% | 49.6% |
| g6 | 25 | 3.2% | 70.0% |
| e6 | 9 | 1.2% | 66.7% |
| e5 | 6 | 0.8% | 33.3% |
Vahap Sanal's chess games
All 4,200 games by Vahap Sanal 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: 2,282 wins, 736 draws, 1,182 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B22 | Sicilian | 180 | 99/26/55 | 55.0% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 145 | 79/27/39 | 54.5% |
| C07 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 123 | 81/15/27 | 65.9% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 117 | 72/16/29 | 61.5% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 94 | 59/11/24 | 62.8% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 73 | 43/12/18 | 58.9% |
| C85 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 65 | 39/14/12 | 60.0% |
| B10 | Caro-Kann: Endgame Variation | 56 | 37/5/14 | 66.1% |
| A13 | English Opening | 55 | 28/18/9 | 50.9% |
| B07 | Modern Defense | 53 | 37/4/12 | 69.8% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C41 | Philidor | 201 | 120/18/63 | 59.7% |
| B42 | Sicilian | 113 | 64/23/26 | 56.6% |
| A47 | Indian Defense | 112 | 64/22/26 | 57.1% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 111 | 46/29/36 | 41.4% |
| C88 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 99 | 48/19/32 | 48.5% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 89 | 45/15/29 | 50.6% |
| D11 | Slav Defense | 82 | 37/17/28 | 45.1% |
| C50 | Italian Game | 68 | 27/15/26 | 39.7% |
| E11 | Catalan | 66 | 27/20/19 | 40.9% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 62 | 40/7/15 | 64.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2022 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,856 | Titled Tue Late | B00 |
| May 2025 | Erigaisi Arjun | 2,782 | Titled Tue Early | B08 |
| Jan 2023 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2,768 | Titled Tue Late | A06 |
| Jun 2023 | Wesley So | 2,765 | Titled Tue Early | C47 |
| Jul 2020 | Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | 2,764 | Grandmaster Battle 2nd | D30 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 1,643 | 1,107 | 2,546 |
| chT-TUR | 2024 | 156 | 112 | 2,453 |
| Wch Blitz | 2023 | 146 | 71 | 2,568 |
| Wch Rapid | 2023 | 114 | 54.5 | 2,522 |
| ch-TUR | 2020 | 50 | 39 | 2,421 |
| Titled Arena Apr 3rd | 2021 | 45 | 24.5 | 2,560 |
| Titled Arena Mar 6th | 2021 | 42 | 21 | 2,510 |
| Titled Arena May 8th | 2021 | 35 | 23.5 | 2,565 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Alexey Sarana (29 games) · Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (22 games) · Jan-Krzysztof Duda (20 games) · Dmitry Andreikin (18 games) · Velimir Ivic (17 games) · Vugar Rasulov (16 games) · Aleksandar Indjic (15 games) · Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara (15 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 4,200 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Vahap Sanal's chess games?
4,200 games by Vahap Sanal, 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 Vahap Sanal has played.
What does Vahap Sanal play on the first move as White?
Across 2,110 games with White in our database, Vahap Sanal opens with 1.e4 (73% of games), 1.Nf3 (16% of games), 1.d4 (7% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Vahap Sanal answers 1...e5 (54% of games), 1...d6 (20% of games), 1...c5 (19% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (57% of games), 1...d6 (20% of games), 1...d5 (17% of games).
What openings does Vahap Sanal play as White?
As White, Vahap Sanal's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (180 games, 55.0% win rate); Réti Opening (145 games, 54.5% win rate); French: Tarrasch Variation (123 games, 65.9% win rate). The full breakdown of 2,111 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Vahap Sanal play as Black?
As Black, Vahap Sanal most often plays: Philidor (201 games, 59.7% win rate); Sicilian (113 games, 56.6% win rate); Indian Defense (112 games, 57.1% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 2,089 games.
What is Vahap Sanal's FIDE rating?
Vahap Sanal is currently rated 2,544 in classical chess, 2,539 in rapid and 2,552 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,608 (Nov 2023).
How many games has Vahap Sanal played?
Our database contains 4,200 games by Vahap Sanal, covering Jan 2008 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 2,282 wins, 736 draws, 1,182 losses (54.3% win rate).
How do I prepare against Vahap Sanal?
4,200 games by Vahap Sanal 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.