Prepare against Varuzhan Akobian
GM · United States · World #298 classical · FIDE ID 13300580
When preparing against Varuzhan Akobian, expect 1.d4 in 98% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e6 (53% of games); against 1.d4, 1...e6 (41%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Queen's Gambit Declined as Black, 25.0% over 104 games.
Our database contains 2,562 games by Varuzhan Akobian, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Varuzhan Akobian's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Varuzhan Akobian 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 | 2,553 | 2,673 | Jun 2017 |
| Rapid | 2,542 | 2,647 | Aug 2021 |
| Blitz | 2,519 | 2,685 | Jul 2016 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,562 | 1,201 | 740 | 621 | 46.9% |
| As White | 1,297 | 675 | 366 | 256 | 52.0% |
| As Black | 1,265 | 526 | 374 | 365 | 41.6% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Varuzhan Akobian's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Varuzhan Akobian's side.
First moves as White (1,297 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 1,274 | 98.2% | 66.5% |
| Nf3 | 10 | 0.8% | 45.0% |
| e4 | 7 | 0.5% | 57.1% |
| c4 | 3 | 0.2% | 33.3% |
| b4 | 2 | 0.2% | 25.0% |
| d3 | 1 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 98% of White games, 66.5% score
- …Nf6 (62% of these games) — Akobian usually continues c4 (63.9% score)
- …d5 (27% of these games) — Akobian usually continues c4 (69.9% score)
- …e6 (3% of these games) — Akobian usually continues c4 (67.9% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 1% of White games, 45.0% score
- …Nf6 (60% of these games) — Akobian usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- …c5 (30% of these games) — Akobian usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- …d5 (10% of these games) — Akobian usually continues d4 (0.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (549 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 292 | 53.2% | 50.2% |
| d6 | 207 | 37.7% | 70.3% |
| c6 | 23 | 4.2% | 50.0% |
| e5 | 13 | 2.4% | 46.2% |
| d5 | 10 | 1.8% | 55.0% |
| c5 | 4 | 0.7% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (452 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 185 | 40.9% | 57.0% |
| d5 | 136 | 30.1% | 47.8% |
| Nf6 | 115 | 25.4% | 61.7% |
| d6 | 15 | 3.3% | 76.7% |
| b6 | 1 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
Varuzhan Akobian's chess games
All 2,562 games by Varuzhan Akobian 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: 1,201 wins, 740 draws, 621 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D13 | Slav Defense | 174 | 95/55/24 | 54.6% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 167 | 84/47/36 | 50.3% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 115 | 47/40/28 | 40.9% |
| A61 | Benoni Defense | 94 | 62/19/13 | 66.0% |
| E61 | King's Indian Defense | 91 | 55/13/23 | 60.4% |
| E10 | Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian | 82 | 44/18/20 | 53.7% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 80 | 26/42/12 | 32.5% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 73 | 35/22/16 | 47.9% |
| E11 | Bogo-Indian Defense | 52 | 30/12/10 | 57.7% |
| D31 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 38 | 20/7/11 | 52.6% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 199 | 126/31/42 | 63.3% |
| A84 | Horwitz Defense | 105 | 57/15/33 | 54.3% |
| D34 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 104 | 26/36/42 | 25.0% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 91 | 36/25/30 | 39.6% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 88 | 25/39/24 | 28.4% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 69 | 30/18/21 | 43.5% |
| C06 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 68 | 20/25/23 | 29.4% |
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 54 | 26/10/18 | 48.1% |
| A13 | English Opening | 48 | 20/11/17 | 41.7% |
| D34 | Catalan | 41 | 14/19/8 | 34.1% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2017 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,817 | ch-USA | E61 |
| Apr 2015 | Wesley So | 2,788 | ch-USA | D32 |
| Nov 2025 | Erigaisi Arjun | 2,769 | Titled Tue | E61 |
| Feb 2025 | Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 2,766 | Titled Tue Late | A52 |
| Nov 2025 | Alireza Firouzja | 2,762 | Titled Tue | C02 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 835 | 538.5 | 2,478 |
| ch-USA | 2018 | 129 | 72 | 2,633 |
| Las Vegas National Open | 2024 | 46 | 35 | 2,602 |
| 1st 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 41 | 23.5 | 2,469 |
| FIDE World Cup | 2021 | 39 | 18 | 2,608 |
| PRO League Stage | 2019 | 35 | 22.5 | 2,623 |
| PRO League KO Stage | 2018 | 33 | 20 | 2,587 |
| USA tt | 2015 | 28 | 20 | 2,676 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Ray Robson (26 games) · Alexander Onischuk (19 games) · Hikaru Nakamura (17 games) · Julio Becerra Rivero (16 games) · Lazaro Bruzon Batista (16 games) · Pavel V. Tregubov (16 games) · Melikset Khachiyan (16 games) · Alexander Shabalov (15 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,562 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Varuzhan Akobian's chess games?
2,562 games by Varuzhan Akobian, 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 Varuzhan Akobian has played.
What does Varuzhan Akobian play on the first move as White?
Across 1,297 games with White in our database, Varuzhan Akobian opens with 1.d4 (98% of games), 1.Nf3 (1% of games), 1.e4 (1% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Varuzhan Akobian answers 1...e6 (53% of games), 1...d6 (38% of games), 1...c6 (4% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...e6 (41% of games), 1...d5 (30% of games), 1...Nf6 (25% of games).
What openings does Varuzhan Akobian play as White?
As White, Varuzhan Akobian's most-played openings in our database are: Slav Defense (174 games, 54.6% win rate); Indian Defense (167 games, 50.3% win rate); Grünfeld Defense (115 games, 40.9% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,297 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Varuzhan Akobian play as Black?
As Black, Varuzhan Akobian most often plays: Pirc Defense (199 games, 63.3% win rate); Horwitz Defense (105 games, 54.3% win rate); Queen's Gambit Declined (104 games, 25.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,265 games.
What is Varuzhan Akobian's FIDE rating?
Varuzhan Akobian is currently rated 2,553 in classical chess, 2,542 in rapid and 2,519 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,673 (Jun 2017).
How many games has Varuzhan Akobian played?
Our database contains 2,562 games by Varuzhan Akobian, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 1,201 wins, 740 draws, 621 losses (46.9% win rate).
How do I prepare against Varuzhan Akobian?
2,562 games by Varuzhan Akobian 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.