Prepare against Vladimir Epishin
GM · Russia · World #5,614 classical · FIDE ID 4162714
When preparing against Vladimir Epishin, expect 1.d4 in 89% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (57% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (79%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Slav Defense as Black, 10.2% over 49 games.
Our database contains 3,792 games by Vladimir Epishin, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Vladimir Epishin's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Vladimir Epishin 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 | 2,258 | 2,658 | Oct 2003 |
| Rapid | 2,272 | 2,622 | Feb 2017 |
| Blitz | 2,237 | 2,590 | Jun 2015 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3,792 | 1,794 | 1,620 | 378 | 47.3% |
| As White | 1,920 | 1,078 | 698 | 144 | 56.1% |
| As Black | 1,872 | 716 | 922 | 234 | 38.2% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Vladimir Epishin's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Vladimir Epishin's side.
First moves as White (1,920 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 1,707 | 88.9% | 74.9% |
| Nf3 | 96 | 5.0% | 66.7% |
| c4 | 81 | 4.2% | 79.0% |
| e4 | 31 | 1.6% | 58.1% |
| Nc3 | 4 | 0.2% | 62.5% |
| b4 | 1 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 89% of White games, 74.9% score
- …Nf6 (57% of these games) — Epishin usually continues c4 (74.1% score)
- …d5 (29% of these games) — Epishin usually continues c4 (76.5% score)
- …e6 (5% of these games) — Epishin usually continues c4 (79.5% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 5% of White games, 66.7% score
- …Nf6 (47% of these games) — Epishin usually continues c4 (59.1% score)
- …d5 (25% of these games) — Epishin usually continues e3 (73.1% score)
- …c5 (18% of these games) — Epishin usually continues c4 (61.5% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (860 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 488 | 56.7% | 66.9% |
| c6 | 232 | 27.0% | 55.6% |
| g6 | 57 | 6.6% | 77.2% |
| d5 | 43 | 5.0% | 66.3% |
| e6 | 31 | 3.6% | 46.8% |
| b6 | 7 | 0.8% | 85.7% |
As Black against 1.d4 (680 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 537 | 79.0% | 59.0% |
| d5 | 71 | 10.4% | 52.1% |
| g6 | 23 | 3.4% | 82.6% |
| d6 | 18 | 2.6% | 66.7% |
| e6 | 14 | 2.1% | 60.7% |
| c5 | 11 | 1.6% | 90.9% |
Vladimir Epishin's chess games
All 3,792 games by Vladimir Epishin in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - 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: 1,794 wins, 1,620 draws, 378 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D45 | Slav Defense | 266 | 148/106/12 | 55.6% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 239 | 135/90/14 | 56.5% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 173 | 86/72/15 | 49.7% |
| E97 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 142 | 85/39/18 | 59.9% |
| A70 | Benoni Defense | 120 | 85/26/9 | 70.8% |
| D23 | Queen's Pawn Game | 88 | 44/39/5 | 50.0% |
| E11 | Bogo-Indian Defense | 69 | 39/28/2 | 56.5% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 68 | 41/20/7 | 60.3% |
| D20 | Queen's Gambit Accepted | 65 | 33/23/9 | 50.8% |
| E46 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 62 | 33/24/5 | 53.2% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B42 | Sicilian | 341 | 155/135/51 | 45.5% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 147 | 49/85/13 | 33.3% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 127 | 30/82/15 | 23.6% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 125 | 82/33/10 | 65.6% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 65 | 21/33/11 | 32.3% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 62 | 10/37/15 | 16.1% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 62 | 26/25/11 | 41.9% |
| A13 | English Opening | 58 | 19/36/3 | 32.8% |
| B19 | Caro-Kann: Classical | 56 | 14/37/5 | 25.0% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 49 | 5/36/8 | 10.2% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2021 | Maxim Matlakov | 2,674 | St Petersburg Blitz | D11 |
| Jan 1994 | Artur Jussupow | 2,665 | Dortmund | E41 |
| Apr 2004 | Viktor Bologan | 2,665 | ACP Blitz Prelim4 | E22 |
| Dec 2012 | Sergey A. Fedorchuk | 2,661 | 18th Navalmoral Open | E11 |
| Jul 2016 | Loek Van Wely | 2,658 | Helmond De Legibus Open | D30 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Open | 2000 | 60 | 42 | 2,645 |
| ch-URS U26 | 1990 | 42 | 21 | 2,467 |
| Agzamov Memorial | 1987 | 34 | 18 | 2,459 |
| Geneve Open | 2005 | 32 | 24 | 2,623 |
| Groningen Open | 1999 | 30 | 20 | 2,583 |
| Gibraltar Masters | 2007 | 29 | 19 | 2,590 |
| Bruges Masters Open | 2017 | 22 | 16.5 | 2,466 |
| ch-RUS | 1996 | 22 | 12.5 | 2,580 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Aleksey Dreev (23 games) · Igor Khenkin (17 games) · Oleg M Romanishin (14 games) · Sergei Tiviakov (13 games) · Leonid Yudasin (12 games) · Vladimir Burmakin (12 games) · Michele Godena (11 games) · Loek Van Wely (11 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 3,792 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Vladimir Epishin's chess games?
3,792 games by Vladimir Epishin, from Apr 2003 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 Vladimir Epishin has played.
What does Vladimir Epishin play on the first move as White?
Across 1,920 games with White in our database, Vladimir Epishin opens with 1.d4 (89% of games), 1.Nf3 (5% of games), 1.c4 (4% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Vladimir Epishin answers 1...c5 (57% of games), 1...c6 (27% of games), 1...g6 (7% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (79% of games), 1...d5 (10% of games), 1...g6 (3% of games).
What openings does Vladimir Epishin play as White?
As White, Vladimir Epishin's most-played openings in our database are: Slav Defense (266 games, 55.6% win rate); Indian Defense (239 games, 56.5% win rate); Queen's Indian Defense (173 games, 49.7% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,920 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Vladimir Epishin play as Black?
As Black, Vladimir Epishin most often plays: Sicilian (341 games, 45.5% win rate); Indian Defense (147 games, 33.3% win rate); Queen's Indian Defense (127 games, 23.6% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,872 games.
What is Vladimir Epishin's FIDE rating?
Vladimir Epishin is currently rated 2,258 in classical chess, 2,272 in rapid and 2,237 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,658 (Oct 2003).
How many games has Vladimir Epishin played?
Our database contains 3,792 games by Vladimir Epishin, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 1,794 wins, 1,620 draws, 378 losses (47.3% win rate).
How do I prepare against Vladimir Epishin?
3,792 games by Vladimir Epishin 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.