Prepare against Vladislav Kovalev
GM · FIDE · World #246 classical · FIDE ID 13504398
Our database contains 4,059 games by Vladislav Kovalev, covering Oct 2004 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Vladislav Kovalev's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Vladislav Kovalev 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 | 2,565 | 2,703 | Mar 2019 |
| Rapid | 2,499 | 2,690 | May 2015 |
| Blitz | 2,543 | 2,599 | Aug 2016 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4,059 | 2,062 | 980 | 1,017 | 50.8% |
| As White | 2,062 | 1,125 | 487 | 450 | 54.6% |
| As Black | 1,997 | 937 | 493 | 567 | 46.9% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Vladislav Kovalev's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Vladislav Kovalev's side.
First moves as White (2,062 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 1,928 | 93.5% | 66.3% |
| d4 | 108 | 5.2% | 70.8% |
| Nf3 | 23 | 1.1% | 47.8% |
| c4 | 2 | 0.1% | 75.0% |
| d3 | 1 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 94% of White games, 66.3% score
- …c5 (41% of these games) — Kovalev usually continues Nf3 (62.9% score)
- …e5 (27% of these games) — Kovalev usually continues Nf3 (63.9% score)
- …e6 (10% of these games) — Kovalev usually continues d4 (71.7% score)
- 1.d4 — 5% of White games, 70.8% score
- …Nf6 (58% of these games) — Kovalev usually continues Bf4 (76.8% score)
- …d5 (29% of these games) — Kovalev usually continues Nc3 (85.7% score)
- …e6 (6% of these games) — Kovalev usually continues e4 (100.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (899 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 807 | 89.8% | 61.3% |
| c5 | 89 | 9.9% | 64.6% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (773 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 763 | 98.7% | 56.0% |
| d5 | 10 | 1.3% | 45.0% |
Vladislav Kovalev's chess games
All 4,059 games by Vladislav Kovalev in the Chess.ceo database (Oct 2004 - 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: 2,062 wins, 980 draws, 1,017 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B21 | Sicilian | 438 | 259/79/100 | 59.1% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 135 | 67/31/37 | 49.6% |
| C07 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 117 | 68/31/18 | 58.1% |
| C77 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 100 | 59/33/8 | 59.0% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 85 | 44/17/24 | 51.8% |
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 77 | 28/39/10 | 36.4% |
| B10 | Caro-Kann: Endgame Variation | 74 | 49/9/16 | 66.2% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 57 | 27/17/13 | 47.4% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 57 | 22/20/15 | 38.6% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 53 | 27/6/20 | 50.9% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C92 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 253 | 102/81/70 | 40.3% |
| C54 | Italian Game | 125 | 77/25/23 | 61.6% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 122 | 46/46/30 | 37.7% |
| D02 | Indian Defense | 120 | 48/39/33 | 40.0% |
| E62 | King's Indian Defense | 76 | 36/17/23 | 47.4% |
| A39 | English Opening | 75 | 38/18/19 | 50.7% |
| C77 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 57 | 28/15/14 | 49.1% |
| E05 | Catalan | 55 | 21/21/13 | 38.2% |
| C54 | Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo | 52 | 25/10/17 | 48.1% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 52 | 22/8/22 | 42.3% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2017 | Levon Aronian | 2,805 | Wch Rapid | C48 |
| May 2024 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,805 | Titled Tue Early | C54 |
| Jun 2023 | Alireza Firouzja | 2,786 | Titled Tue Late | B10 |
| Jul 2018 | Anish Giri | 2,782 | Dortmund 46th | B29 |
| Jun 2023 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2,775 | Titled Tue Late | B31 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 1,507 | 1,036.5 | 2,551 |
| Wch Blitz | 2023 | 125 | 63.5 | 2,580 |
| Wch Rapid | 2023 | 108 | 53 | 2,574 |
| ch-EU rapid | 2017 | 62 | 44 | 2,537 |
| ch-EU blitz | 2017 | 48 | 29 | 2,486 |
| Titled Arena May 8th | 2021 | 47 | 23 | 2,455 |
| Titled Arena Mar 6th | 2021 | 45 | 19 | 2,449 |
| ch-BLR U20 | 2012 | 34 | 25.5 | 2,476 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: David Paravyan (31 games) · Alexey Sarana (29 games) · Dmitry Andreikin (26 games) · Vladimir Fedoseev (26 games) · Hikaru Nakamura (24 games) · Daniil Dubov (24 games) · Parham Maghsoodloo (21 games) · Aleksej Aleksandrov (19 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 4,059 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Vladislav Kovalev's chess games?
4,059 games by Vladislav Kovalev, from Oct 2004 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 Vladislav Kovalev has played.
What does Vladislav Kovalev play on the first move as White?
Across 2,062 games with White in our database, Vladislav Kovalev opens with 1.e4 (94% of games), 1.d4 (5% of games), 1.Nf3 (1% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Vladislav Kovalev answers 1...e5 (90% of games), 1...c5 (10% of games), 1...d6 (0% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (99% of games), 1...d5 (1% of games).
What openings does Vladislav Kovalev play as White?
As White, Vladislav Kovalev's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (438 games, 59.1% win rate); Sicilian: Moscow Variation (135 games, 49.6% win rate); French: Tarrasch Variation (117 games, 58.1% win rate). The full breakdown of 2,062 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Vladislav Kovalev play as Black?
As Black, Vladislav Kovalev most often plays: Ruy Lopez: Closed (253 games, 40.3% win rate); Italian Game (125 games, 61.6% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (122 games, 37.7% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,997 games.
What is Vladislav Kovalev's FIDE rating?
Vladislav Kovalev is currently rated 2,565 in classical chess, 2,499 in rapid and 2,543 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,703 (Mar 2019).
How many games has Vladislav Kovalev played?
Our database contains 4,059 games by Vladislav Kovalev, covering Oct 2004 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 2,062 wins, 980 draws, 1,017 losses (50.8% win rate).
How do I prepare against Vladislav Kovalev?
4,059 games by Vladislav Kovalev 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.