Prepare against Valerij Popov
GM · Russia · World #448 classical · FIDE ID 4119410
Our database contains 1,731 games by Valerij Popov, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Valerij Popov's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Valerij Popov 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 | 2,521 | 2,595 | Sep 2009 |
| Rapid | 2,466 | 2,625 | Oct 2019 |
| Blitz | 2,452 | 2,610 | Mar 2020 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,731 | 729 | 640 | 361 | 42.1% |
| As White | 890 | 415 | 315 | 160 | 46.6% |
| As Black | 841 | 314 | 325 | 201 | 37.3% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Valerij Popov's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Valerij Popov's side.
First moves as White (890 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 350 | 39.3% | 65.4% |
| Nf3 | 278 | 31.2% | 63.7% |
| c4 | 172 | 19.3% | 61.3% |
| e4 | 85 | 9.6% | 68.2% |
| g3 | 3 | 0.3% | 66.7% |
| f4 | 1 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 39% of White games, 65.4% score
- …Nf6 (53% of these games) — Popov usually continues c4 (64.3% score)
- …d5 (35% of these games) — Popov usually continues c4 (65.1% score)
- …d6 (5% of these games) — Popov usually continues Nf3 (68.2% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 31% of White games, 63.7% score
- …Nf6 (52% of these games) — Popov usually continues c4 (65.6% score)
- …d5 (26% of these games) — Popov usually continues d4 (59.3% score)
- …c5 (13% of these games) — Popov usually continues c4 (58.3% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (353 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 192 | 54.4% | 61.5% |
| e6 | 57 | 16.1% | 54.4% |
| c6 | 57 | 16.1% | 43.9% |
| e5 | 28 | 7.9% | 55.4% |
| g6 | 7 | 2.0% | 42.9% |
| d5 | 6 | 1.7% | 25.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (340 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 243 | 71.5% | 57.2% |
| Nf6 | 73 | 21.5% | 62.3% |
| f5 | 13 | 3.8% | 30.8% |
| g6 | 7 | 2.1% | 28.6% |
| e6 | 3 | 0.9% | 66.7% |
| b5 | 1 | 0.3% | 0.0% |
Valerij Popov's chess games
All 1,731 games by Valerij Popov in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Jul 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: 729 wins, 640 draws, 361 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A17 | English Opening | 114 | 50/39/25 | 43.9% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 95 | 37/46/12 | 38.9% |
| E92 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 91 | 54/22/15 | 59.3% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 72 | 40/21/11 | 55.6% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 47 | 19/13/15 | 40.4% |
| A37 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 46 | 19/16/11 | 41.3% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 25 | 13/7/5 | 52.0% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 24 | 11/8/5 | 45.8% |
| D27 | Queen's Pawn Game | 22 | 5/12/5 | 22.7% |
| A11 | English Opening: Slav Setup | 22 | 13/5/4 | 59.1% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D15 | Slav Defense | 156 | 40/81/35 | 25.6% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 90 | 38/31/21 | 42.2% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 45 | 18/18/8 | 40.0% |
| D31 | Semi-Slav Defense | 40 | 17/13/10 | 42.5% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 38 | 8/19/11 | 21.1% |
| D30 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 33 | 20/9/4 | 60.6% |
| D02 | Réti Opening | 30 | 14/12/4 | 46.7% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 23 | 8/9/6 | 34.8% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 22 | 4/8/10 | 18.2% |
| A21 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 22 | 10/6/6 | 45.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2018 | Yangyi Yu | 2,764 | Wch Blitz | D31 |
| Dec 2018 | Bassem Amin | 2,710 | Wch Rapid | E92 |
| Dec 2018 | Rauf Mamedov | 2,703 | ch-EU rapid | C25 |
| Feb 2006 | Alexey Dreev | 2,697 | Moscow Aeroflot Open A | B12 |
| Dec 2018 | Markus Ragger | 2,687 | ch-EU rapid | C03 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-EU blitz | 2019 | 93 | 52 | 2,507 |
| ch-St Petersburg | 2009 | 84 | 54.5 | 2,597 |
| ch-EU rapid | 2019 | 64 | 44 | 2,563 |
| Petrov Memorial Open | 2002 | 36 | 19.5 | 2,397 |
| Moscow Aeroflot Open A | 2007 | 35 | 16.5 | 2,574 |
| RUS-Cup | 2000 | 35 | 21.5 | 2,489 |
| St Petersburg Open | 1995 | 27 | 14 | 2,503 |
| Cherepovets | 2002 | 25 | 18.5 | 2,602 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Konstantin Sakaev (12 games) · Evgeny Alekseev (12 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,731 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Valerij Popov's chess games?
1,731 games by Valerij Popov, from Apr 2003 to Jul 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 Valerij Popov has played.
What does Valerij Popov play on the first move as White?
Across 890 games with White in our database, Valerij Popov opens with 1.d4 (39% of games), 1.Nf3 (31% of games), 1.c4 (19% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Valerij Popov answers 1...c5 (54% of games), 1...e6 (16% of games), 1...c6 (16% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (71% of games), 1...Nf6 (21% of games), 1...f5 (4% of games).
What openings does Valerij Popov play as White?
As White, Valerij Popov's most-played openings in our database are: English Opening (114 games, 43.9% win rate); Slav Defense (95 games, 38.9% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (91 games, 59.3% win rate). The full breakdown of 890 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Valerij Popov play as Black?
As Black, Valerij Popov most often plays: Slav Defense (156 games, 25.6% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (90 games, 42.2% win rate); Sicilian (45 games, 40.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 841 games.
What is Valerij Popov's FIDE rating?
Valerij Popov is currently rated 2,521 in classical chess, 2,466 in rapid and 2,452 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,595 (Sep 2009).
How many games has Valerij Popov played?
Our database contains 1,731 games by Valerij Popov, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 729 wins, 640 draws, 361 losses (42.1% win rate).
How do I prepare against Valerij Popov?
1,731 games by Valerij Popov 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.