Prepare against Valerij Smirnov
IM · Belarus · World #9,998 classical · FIDE ID 13500350
When preparing against Valerij Smirnov, expect 1.d4 in 60% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (88% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (95%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Queen's Indian Defense as White, 22.7% over 22 games.
Our database contains 324 games by Valerij Smirnov, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Valerij Smirnov's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Valerij Smirnov 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 | 2,170 | 2,407 | Jul 2006 |
| Rapid | 2,091 | 2,354 | Feb 2015 |
| Blitz | 2,037 | 2,299 | Oct 2015 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 324 | 79 | 127 | 118 | 24.4% |
| As White | 162 | 42 | 69 | 51 | 25.9% |
| As Black | 162 | 37 | 58 | 67 | 22.8% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Valerij Smirnov's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Valerij Smirnov's side.
First moves as White (162 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 97 | 59.9% | 46.9% |
| e4 | 31 | 19.1% | 40.3% |
| Nf3 | 16 | 9.9% | 53.1% |
| c4 | 16 | 9.9% | 56.3% |
| g3 | 1 | 0.6% | 0.0% |
| f4 | 1 | 0.6% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 60% of White games, 46.9% score
- …Nf6 (65% of these games) — Smirnov usually continues c4 (40.5% score)
- …d5 (22% of these games) — Smirnov usually continues Nf3 (53.6% score)
- …e6 (6% of these games) — Smirnov usually continues c4 (62.5% score)
- 1.e4 — 19% of White games, 40.3% score
- …c5 (65% of these games) — Smirnov usually continues Nf3 (33.3% score)
- …e5 (16% of these games) — Smirnov usually continues Nf3 (37.5% score)
- …c6 (13% of these games) — Smirnov usually continues d4 (25.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (76 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 67 | 88.2% | 47.0% |
| e6 | 4 | 5.3% | 62.5% |
| e5 | 3 | 3.9% | 16.7% |
| g6 | 1 | 1.3% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (58 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 55 | 94.8% | 38.2% |
| e6 | 1 | 1.7% | 0.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 1.7% | 50.0% |
| d5 | 1 | 1.7% | 50.0% |
Valerij Smirnov's chess games
All 324 games by Valerij Smirnov 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: 79 wins, 127 draws, 118 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 22 | 5/9/8 | 22.7% |
| E71 | King's Indian Defense | 10 | 5/0/5 | 50.0% |
| D12 | Slav Defense | 10 | 2/6/2 | 20.0% |
| A53 | Indian Defense | 8 | 3/5/0 | 37.5% |
| D04 | Queen's Pawn Game | 7 | 2/5/0 | 28.6% |
| A25 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 7 | 4/0/3 | 57.1% |
| B30 | Sicilian | 7 | 0/5/2 | 0.0% |
| A72 | Benoni Defense | 6 | 2/0/4 | 33.3% |
| A16 | Modern Defense | 5 | 2/2/1 | 40.0% |
| E97 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 5 | 0/3/2 | 0.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B67 | Sicilian | 38 | 12/13/13 | 31.6% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 15 | 4/4/7 | 26.7% |
| B47 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 10 | 2/3/5 | 20.0% |
| A37 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 9 | 1/3/5 | 11.1% |
| E48 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 9 | 2/2/5 | 22.2% |
| A04 | Réti Opening | 8 | 2/0/6 | 25.0% |
| D41 | Indian Defense | 8 | 1/6/1 | 12.5% |
| E71 | Benoni Defense | 8 | 1/3/4 | 12.5% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 5 | 1/2/2 | 20.0% |
| E04 | Catalan | 4 | 1/2/1 | 25.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2019 | David Paravyan | 2,605 | Minsk Kupreichik Memorial Open | B28 |
| Jul 2008 | Ivan Popov | 2,594 | Minsk Open | B89 |
| Jun 2018 | Rafael A Vaganian | 2,550 | Minsk Kupreichik Memorial | E91 |
| Jan 1996 | Evgeny V Mochalov | 2,515 | ch-BLR | D38 |
| Jan 1996 | Georgy Timoshenko | 2,500 | Minsk Open | B47 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-BLR | 2011 | 124 | 48 | 2,359 |
| Minsk Open | 2023 | 56 | 30.5 | 2,237 |
| Minsk Bronstein Memorial Open | 2020 | 18 | 11.5 | 2,186 |
| ch-BLR 43 | 1978 | 15 | 6.5 | 2,359 |
| ch-BLR 69th | 2003 | 12 | 4.5 | 2,335 |
| Minsk Kupreichik Memorial | 2018 | 12 | 4.5 | 2,316 |
| Minsk Kupreichik Memorial Open | 2019 | 10 | 6 | 2,309 |
| Minsk-C | 1993 | 9 | 4 | 2,301 |
Interactive opening tree from all 324 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Valerij Smirnov's chess games?
324 games by Valerij Smirnov, 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 Valerij Smirnov has played.
What does Valerij Smirnov play on the first move as White?
Across 162 games with White in our database, Valerij Smirnov opens with 1.d4 (60% of games), 1.e4 (19% of games), 1.Nf3 (10% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Valerij Smirnov answers 1...c5 (88% of games), 1...e6 (5% of games), 1...e5 (4% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (95% of games), 1...e6 (2% of games), 1...d6 (2% of games).
What openings does Valerij Smirnov play as White?
As White, Valerij Smirnov's most-played openings in our database are: Queen's Indian Defense (22 games, 22.7% win rate); King's Indian Defense (10 games, 50.0% win rate); Slav Defense (10 games, 20.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 162 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Valerij Smirnov play as Black?
As Black, Valerij Smirnov most often plays: Sicilian (38 games, 31.6% win rate); Queen's Indian Defense (15 games, 26.7% win rate); Sicilian: Taimanov (10 games, 20.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 162 games.
What is Valerij Smirnov's FIDE rating?
Valerij Smirnov is currently rated 2,170 in classical chess, 2,091 in rapid and 2,037 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,407 (Jul 2006).
How many games has Valerij Smirnov played?
Our database contains 324 games by Valerij Smirnov, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 79 wins, 127 draws, 118 losses (24.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against Valerij Smirnov?
324 games by Valerij Smirnov 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.