Prepare against Yannick Pelletier
GM · CHE · World #456 classical · FIDE ID 1301837
When preparing against Yannick Pelletier, expect 1.d4 in 55% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (51% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (61%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: French Defense as Black, 12.5% over 48 games.
Our database contains 2,270 games by Yannick Pelletier, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Yannick Pelletier's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Yannick Pelletier 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 | 2,519 | 2,623 | Apr 2003 |
| Rapid | 2,643 | 2,644 | Jul 2017 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,270 | 793 | 1,023 | 453 | 34.9% |
| As White | 1,138 | 458 | 485 | 195 | 40.2% |
| As Black | 1,132 | 335 | 538 | 258 | 29.6% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Yannick Pelletier's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Yannick Pelletier's side.
First moves as White (1,138 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 631 | 55.4% | 57.1% |
| Nf3 | 343 | 30.1% | 68.7% |
| c4 | 98 | 8.6% | 65.8% |
| e4 | 63 | 5.5% | 61.9% |
| g3 | 2 | 0.2% | 25.0% |
| b3 | 1 | 0.1% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 55% of White games, 57.1% score
- …Nf6 (57% of these games) — Pelletier usually continues c4 (55.7% score)
- …d5 (28% of these games) — Pelletier usually continues c4 (59.7% score)
- …e6 (5% of these games) — Pelletier usually continues c4 (56.7% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 30% of White games, 68.7% score
- …Nf6 (53% of these games) — Pelletier usually continues c4 (68.7% score)
- …d5 (21% of these games) — Pelletier usually continues d4 (67.4% score)
- …c5 (12% of these games) — Pelletier usually continues c4 (70.5% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (499 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 254 | 50.9% | 56.5% |
| e6 | 163 | 32.7% | 49.4% |
| d6 | 36 | 7.2% | 59.7% |
| c6 | 34 | 6.8% | 47.1% |
| e5 | 11 | 2.2% | 18.2% |
As Black against 1.d4 (415 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 254 | 61.2% | 53.9% |
| d5 | 113 | 27.2% | 45.1% |
| e6 | 45 | 10.8% | 62.2% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
| a6 | 1 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
Yannick Pelletier's chess games
All 2,270 games by Yannick Pelletier 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: 793 wins, 1,023 draws, 453 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E97 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 127 | 62/48/17 | 48.8% |
| D45 | Slav Defense | 126 | 39/65/22 | 31.0% |
| A17 | English Opening | 118 | 55/46/17 | 46.6% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 102 | 44/39/19 | 43.1% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 69 | 23/28/18 | 33.3% |
| E05 | Catalan | 56 | 17/30/9 | 30.4% |
| A59 | Benoni Defense | 39 | 19/12/8 | 48.7% |
| A34 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 37 | 22/12/3 | 59.5% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 35 | 15/15/5 | 42.9% |
| A11 | Réti Opening | 33 | 16/13/4 | 48.5% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D45 | Slav Defense | 97 | 23/40/34 | 23.7% |
| B57 | Sicilian | 92 | 35/36/21 | 38.0% |
| A30 | English Opening | 75 | 19/48/8 | 25.3% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 59 | 10/36/13 | 16.9% |
| D39 | Indian Defense | 57 | 14/29/14 | 24.6% |
| C10 | French Defense | 48 | 6/28/14 | 12.5% |
| C03 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 42 | 9/22/11 | 21.4% |
| B85 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 41 | 16/15/10 | 39.0% |
| B48 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 39 | 10/18/11 | 25.6% |
| E11 | Catalan | 37 | 9/20/8 | 24.3% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2015 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,850 | 20th chT-EU | A30 |
| Oct 2015 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2,816 | 31st EU-Cup | E97 |
| Jul 2012 | Alexander Morozevich | 2,770 | Biel Exhibition Blitz | A11 |
| Sep 2016 | Richard Rapport | 2,752 | Olympiad-42 | A45 |
| Apr 2017 | Ian Nepomniachtchi | 2,751 | 6th Zuerich Chess Challenge Blitz | A87 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| chT-SUI | 2024 | 257 | 168 | 2,554 |
| Biel GM | 2007 | 79 | 35 | 2,618 |
| FRA-chT Top 12 | 2018 | 69 | 43 | 2,566 |
| ch-SUI | 2010 | 56 | 37 | 2,562 |
| chT-FRA Top 16 GpA | 2024 | 30 | 20 | 2,593 |
| Wch U20 | 1996 | 26 | 15 | 2,379 |
| Biel MTO Open | 2000 | 23 | 11.5 | 2,457 |
| Biel | 1998 | 22 | 10.5 | 2,456 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Joseph G. Gallagher (24 games) · Etienne Bacrot (22 games) · Florian Jenni (19 games) · Richard Forster (13 games) · Andrei Sokolov (12 games) · Markus Klauser (11 games) · Alexander Morozevich (11 games) · Andrei Volokitin (11 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,270 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Yannick Pelletier's chess games?
2,270 games by Yannick Pelletier, 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 Yannick Pelletier has played.
What does Yannick Pelletier play on the first move as White?
Across 1,138 games with White in our database, Yannick Pelletier opens with 1.d4 (55% of games), 1.Nf3 (30% of games), 1.c4 (9% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Yannick Pelletier answers 1...c5 (51% of games), 1...e6 (33% of games), 1...d6 (7% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (61% of games), 1...d5 (27% of games), 1...e6 (11% of games).
What openings does Yannick Pelletier play as White?
As White, Yannick Pelletier's most-played openings in our database are: King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (127 games, 48.8% win rate); Slav Defense (126 games, 31.0% win rate); English Opening (118 games, 46.6% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,138 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Yannick Pelletier play as Black?
As Black, Yannick Pelletier most often plays: Slav Defense (97 games, 23.7% win rate); Sicilian (92 games, 38.0% win rate); English Opening (75 games, 25.3% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,132 games.
What is Yannick Pelletier's FIDE rating?
Yannick Pelletier is currently rated 2,519 in classical chess, 2,643 in rapid. Peak classical rating: 2,623 (Apr 2003).
How many games has Yannick Pelletier played?
Our database contains 2,270 games by Yannick Pelletier, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 793 wins, 1,023 draws, 453 losses (34.9% win rate).
How do I prepare against Yannick Pelletier?
2,270 games by Yannick Pelletier 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.