Prepare against Velislav Kukov
IM · BGR · World #3,918 classical · FIDE ID 2906139
When preparing against Velislav Kukov, expect 1.d4 in 62% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c6 (55% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (40%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Modern Defense as White, 13.3% over 15 games.
Our database contains 913 games by Velislav Kukov, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Velislav Kukov's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Velislav Kukov 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 | 2,305 | 2,425 | Sep 2011 |
| Rapid | 2,300 | 2,394 | Nov 2012 |
| Blitz | 2,277 | 2,392 | Feb 2013 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 913 | 356 | 333 | 224 | 39.0% |
| As White | 449 | 168 | 180 | 101 | 37.4% |
| As Black | 464 | 188 | 153 | 123 | 40.5% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Velislav Kukov's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Velislav Kukov's side.
First moves as White (449 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 280 | 62.4% | 59.6% |
| Nf3 | 152 | 33.9% | 55.9% |
| c4 | 12 | 2.7% | 25.0% |
| e4 | 4 | 0.9% | 62.5% |
| b3 | 1 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 62% of White games, 59.6% score
- …Nf6 (48% of these games) — Kukov usually continues Nf3 (57.6% score)
- …d5 (31% of these games) — Kukov usually continues Bf4 (64.1% score)
- …d6 (6% of these games) — Kukov usually continues Nf3 (52.8% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 34% of White games, 55.9% score
- …Nf6 (49% of these games) — Kukov usually continues d4 (70.4% score)
- …d5 (26% of these games) — Kukov usually continues c4 (60.4% score)
- …c5 (12% of these games) — Kukov usually continues c3 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (218 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c6 | 120 | 55.0% | 60.8% |
| g6 | 30 | 13.8% | 48.3% |
| d5 | 25 | 11.5% | 72.0% |
| d6 | 16 | 7.3% | 50.0% |
| Nf6 | 12 | 5.5% | 45.8% |
| e5 | 9 | 4.1% | 38.9% |
As Black against 1.d4 (159 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 63 | 39.6% | 61.1% |
| d5 | 52 | 32.7% | 50.0% |
| d6 | 23 | 14.5% | 45.7% |
| Nc6 | 7 | 4.4% | 57.1% |
| f5 | 6 | 3.8% | 41.7% |
| e6 | 2 | 1.3% | 75.0% |
Velislav Kukov's chess games
All 913 games by Velislav Kukov 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: 356 wins, 333 draws, 224 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A48 | Indian Defense | 70 | 27/27/16 | 38.6% |
| D02 | London System | 59 | 26/21/12 | 44.1% |
| D14 | Slav Defense | 42 | 15/24/3 | 35.7% |
| D02 | Réti Opening | 33 | 10/13/10 | 30.3% |
| A45 | Trompowsky Attack | 28 | 14/8/6 | 50.0% |
| A30 | English Opening | 27 | 11/8/8 | 40.7% |
| A41 | Modern Defense | 15 | 2/4/9 | 13.3% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 14 | 4/7/3 | 28.6% |
| A49 | King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation | 13 | 7/4/2 | 53.8% |
| E90 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 12 | 2/4/6 | 16.7% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A50 | Indian Defense | 37 | 18/11/8 | 48.6% |
| D11 | Slav Defense | 33 | 8/20/5 | 24.2% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 32 | 11/11/10 | 34.4% |
| B19 | Caro-Kann: Classical | 26 | 9/8/9 | 34.6% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 26 | 10/8/8 | 38.5% |
| B01 | Scandinavian Defense: Main Line | 25 | 14/8/3 | 56.0% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 24 | 12/6/6 | 50.0% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 24 | 10/10/4 | 41.7% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 17 | 7/5/5 | 41.2% |
| B10 | Caro-Kann | 16 | 12/3/1 | 75.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2013 | Yuri Vovk | 2,608 | 10th Plancoet Open A | A16 |
| Jun 2013 | Boris Chatalbashev | 2,560 | 7th Varna Open | A46 |
| Mar 2014 | Dusan Popovic | 2,553 | 30th Cappelle Open | A48 |
| Oct 2013 | Maxim Dlugy | 2,524 | Blagoevgrad Open | A98 |
| Jun 2011 | Petar Drenchev | 2,519 | chT-BUL 61th | A45 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-BUL U26 | 2012 | 21 | 14.5 | 2,356 |
| Plovdiv Tringov Memorial | 2009 | 17 | 8.5 | 2,319 |
| Charleroi Open | 2018 | 17 | 10 | 2,328 |
| Albena Masters Open | 2014 | 15 | 9 | 2,286 |
| ch-BUL 74th | 2010 | 13 | 5.5 | 2,442 |
| ch-BUL | 2009 | 13 | 4.5 | 2,317 |
| 64th chT-BUL | 2015 | 11 | 6 | 2,404 |
| 9th ch-EU | 2008 | 11 | 4 | 2,384 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Vladimir Petkov (13 games) · Momchil Nikolov (12 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 913 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Velislav Kukov's chess games?
913 games by Velislav Kukov, 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 Velislav Kukov has played.
What does Velislav Kukov play on the first move as White?
Across 449 games with White in our database, Velislav Kukov opens with 1.d4 (62% of games), 1.Nf3 (34% of games), 1.c4 (3% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Velislav Kukov answers 1...c6 (55% of games), 1...g6 (14% of games), 1...d5 (11% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (40% of games), 1...d5 (33% of games), 1...d6 (14% of games).
What openings does Velislav Kukov play as White?
As White, Velislav Kukov's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (70 games, 38.6% win rate); London System (59 games, 44.1% win rate); Slav Defense (42 games, 35.7% win rate). The full breakdown of 449 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Velislav Kukov play as Black?
As Black, Velislav Kukov most often plays: Indian Defense (37 games, 48.6% win rate); Slav Defense (33 games, 24.2% win rate); Modern Defense (32 games, 34.4% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 464 games.
What is Velislav Kukov's FIDE rating?
Velislav Kukov is currently rated 2,305 in classical chess, 2,300 in rapid and 2,277 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,425 (Sep 2011).
How many games has Velislav Kukov played?
Our database contains 913 games by Velislav Kukov, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 356 wins, 333 draws, 224 losses (39.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against Velislav Kukov?
913 games by Velislav Kukov 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.