Prepare against Yehuda Gruenfeld
GM · Israel · World #2,094 classical · FIDE ID 2800020
When preparing against Yehuda Gruenfeld, expect 1.e4 in 96% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (88% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (96%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Queen's Indian Defense as Black, 18.2% over 33 games.
Our database contains 1,282 games by Yehuda Gruenfeld, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Yehuda Gruenfeld's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Yehuda Gruenfeld 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 | 2,379 | 2,498 | Jan 2009 |
| Rapid | 2,294 | 2,452 | Oct 2016 |
| Blitz | 2,380 | 2,488 | Mar 2014 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,282 | 533 | 450 | 299 | 41.6% |
| As White | 663 | 320 | 218 | 125 | 48.3% |
| As Black | 619 | 213 | 232 | 174 | 34.4% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Yehuda Gruenfeld's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Yehuda Gruenfeld's side.
First moves as White (663 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 636 | 95.9% | 64.8% |
| d4 | 16 | 2.4% | 62.5% |
| Nf3 | 6 | 0.9% | 66.7% |
| c4 | 4 | 0.6% | 50.0% |
| a4 | 1 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 96% of White games, 64.8% score
- …c5 (39% of these games) — Gruenfeld usually continues Nf3 (61.4% score)
- …e5 (27% of these games) — Gruenfeld usually continues Nf3 (64.7% score)
- …e6 (14% of these games) — Gruenfeld usually continues d4 (67.8% score)
- 1.d4 — 2% of White games, 62.5% score
- …Nf6 (56% of these games) — Gruenfeld usually continues Bg5 (68.8% score)
- …d5 (31% of these games) — Gruenfeld usually continues Bg5 (37.5% score)
- …f5 (6% of these games) — Gruenfeld usually continues Bg5 (100.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (260 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 229 | 88.1% | 55.9% |
| e5 | 16 | 6.2% | 62.5% |
| c6 | 6 | 2.3% | 58.3% |
| e6 | 2 | 0.8% | 75.0% |
| d6 | 2 | 0.8% | 25.0% |
| Nf6 | 1 | 0.4% | 0.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (215 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 206 | 95.8% | 51.5% |
| d5 | 5 | 2.3% | 70.0% |
| f5 | 1 | 0.5% | 50.0% |
| e6 | 1 | 0.5% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 0.5% | 0.0% |
| c5 | 1 | 0.5% | 0.0% |
Yehuda Gruenfeld's chess games
All 1,282 games by Yehuda Gruenfeld 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: 533 wins, 450 draws, 299 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B42 | Sicilian | 86 | 36/31/19 | 41.9% |
| C92 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 70 | 36/20/14 | 51.4% |
| C06 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 55 | 28/18/9 | 50.9% |
| B96 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 43 | 18/10/15 | 41.9% |
| B47 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 24 | 11/8/5 | 45.8% |
| B09 | Pirc Defense | 20 | 6/11/3 | 30.0% |
| B78 | Sicilian: Dragon | 19 | 9/6/4 | 47.4% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 18 | 8/8/2 | 44.4% |
| B19 | Caro-Kann: Classical | 18 | 13/3/2 | 72.2% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 18 | 7/6/5 | 38.9% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 99 | 27/40/32 | 27.3% |
| A33 | English Opening | 66 | 23/23/20 | 34.8% |
| A77 | Benoni Defense | 60 | 21/14/25 | 35.0% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 57 | 32/16/9 | 56.1% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 33 | 6/23/4 | 18.2% |
| E05 | Catalan | 26 | 6/12/8 | 23.1% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 23 | 14/5/4 | 60.9% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 23 | 8/8/7 | 34.8% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 21 | 10/7/4 | 47.6% |
| E52 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 16 | 3/6/7 | 18.8% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1986 | Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoj | 2,650 | Jerusalem | E63 |
| Feb 2020 | Yuriy Kuzubov | 2,644 | chT-ISR | B15 |
| Sep 2012 | Tomi Nyback | 2,638 | Olympiad-40 | A61 |
| Oct 2004 | Pavel V. Tregubov | 2,629 | Corsica Masters Open | A69 |
| Jan 1980 | Zoltan Ribli | 2,610 | 7th chT-EU Final | E05 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-ISR | 2018 | 157 | 88.5 | 2,439 |
| chT-ISR | 2023 | 67 | 35.5 | 2,479 |
| Tel Aviv | 2001 | 46 | 25 | 2,492 |
| Rishon Le Ziyyon | 1994 | 37 | 23 | 2,558 |
| New York Open | 1994 | 25 | 15 | 2,560 |
| Tel Aviv B | 1992 | 22 | 14 | 2,510 |
| Biel MTO Open | 1999 | 19 | 13.5 | 2,648 |
| Lone Pine Open Louis D. Statham Masters | 1981 | 18 | 11 | 2,524 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Nathan Birnboim (15 games) · Alon Greenfeld (15 games) · Eric Lobron (12 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,282 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Yehuda Gruenfeld's chess games?
1,282 games by Yehuda Gruenfeld, 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 Yehuda Gruenfeld has played.
What does Yehuda Gruenfeld play on the first move as White?
Across 663 games with White in our database, Yehuda Gruenfeld opens with 1.e4 (96% of games), 1.d4 (2% of games), 1.Nf3 (1% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Yehuda Gruenfeld answers 1...c5 (88% of games), 1...e5 (6% of games), 1...c6 (2% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (96% of games), 1...d5 (2% of games), 1...f5 (0% of games).
What openings does Yehuda Gruenfeld play as White?
As White, Yehuda Gruenfeld's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (86 games, 41.9% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (70 games, 51.4% win rate); French: Tarrasch Variation (55 games, 50.9% win rate). The full breakdown of 663 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Yehuda Gruenfeld play as Black?
As Black, Yehuda Gruenfeld most often plays: Sicilian: Najdorf (99 games, 27.3% win rate); English Opening (66 games, 34.8% win rate); Benoni Defense (60 games, 35.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 619 games.
What is Yehuda Gruenfeld's FIDE rating?
Yehuda Gruenfeld is currently rated 2,379 in classical chess, 2,294 in rapid and 2,380 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,498 (Jan 2009).
How many games has Yehuda Gruenfeld played?
Our database contains 1,282 games by Yehuda Gruenfeld, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 533 wins, 450 draws, 299 losses (41.6% win rate).
How do I prepare against Yehuda Gruenfeld?
1,282 games by Yehuda Gruenfeld 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.