Prepare against Yifan Hou
GM · China · World #162 classical · FIDE ID 8602980
When preparing against Yifan Hou, expect 1.e4 in 90% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (76% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (66%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Catalan as Black, 27.0% over 89 games.
Our database contains 2,602 games by Yifan Hou, covering Jan 2004 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Yifan Hou's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Yifan Hou 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 | 2,596 | 2,686 | May 2015 |
| Rapid | 2,529 | 2,631 | Dec 2016 |
| Blitz | 2,521 | 2,704 | Jun 2016 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,602 | 1,126 | 825 | 651 | 43.3% |
| As White | 1,305 | 623 | 397 | 285 | 47.7% |
| As Black | 1,297 | 503 | 428 | 366 | 38.8% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Yifan Hou's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Yifan Hou's side.
First moves as White (1,305 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 1,172 | 89.8% | 62.8% |
| c4 | 44 | 3.4% | 69.3% |
| Nf3 | 38 | 2.9% | 55.3% |
| d4 | 31 | 2.4% | 71.0% |
| b3 | 11 | 0.8% | 81.8% |
| b4 | 4 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 90% of White games, 62.8% score
- …e5 (41% of these games) — Hou usually continues Nf3 (58.0% score)
- …c5 (34% of these games) — Hou usually continues Nf3 (65.1% score)
- …e6 (10% of these games) — Hou usually continues d4 (67.6% score)
- 1.c4 — 3% of White games, 69.3% score
- …e6 (27% of these games) — Hou usually continues g3 (57.1% score)
- …Nf6 (18% of these games) — Hou usually continues Nf3 (75.0% score)
- …c6 (18% of these games) — Hou usually continues Nf3 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (533 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 405 | 76.0% | 58.1% |
| e6 | 80 | 15.0% | 56.9% |
| e5 | 36 | 6.8% | 47.2% |
| Nf6 | 8 | 1.5% | 50.0% |
| c6 | 3 | 0.6% | 66.7% |
| Nc6 | 1 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (539 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 356 | 66.0% | 54.4% |
| e6 | 155 | 28.8% | 58.7% |
| d5 | 23 | 4.3% | 52.2% |
| b6 | 2 | 0.4% | 50.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
Yifan Hou's chess games
All 2,602 games by Yifan Hou in the Chess.ceo database (Jan 2004 - 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: 1,126 wins, 825 draws, 651 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B53 | Sicilian | 140 | 71/32/37 | 50.7% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 107 | 50/43/14 | 46.7% |
| C95 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 96 | 44/34/18 | 45.8% |
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 69 | 25/33/11 | 36.2% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 60 | 27/20/13 | 45.0% |
| C55 | Italian Game | 58 | 23/18/17 | 39.7% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 54 | 27/16/11 | 50.0% |
| C54 | Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo | 39 | 21/11/7 | 53.8% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 38 | 25/5/8 | 65.8% |
| B19 | Caro-Kann: Classical | 32 | 12/16/4 | 37.5% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B40 | Sicilian | 173 | 93/36/44 | 53.8% |
| E05 | Catalan | 89 | 24/46/19 | 27.0% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 86 | 32/35/19 | 37.2% |
| D38 | Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense | 71 | 20/33/18 | 28.2% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 71 | 29/25/17 | 40.8% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 65 | 27/14/24 | 41.5% |
| A17 | English Opening | 60 | 24/19/17 | 40.0% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 45 | 13/23/9 | 28.9% |
| A70 | Benoni Defense | 43 | 21/7/15 | 48.8% |
| E46 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 42 | 18/14/10 | 42.9% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2017 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,817 | 4th Grenke Chess Classic | C67 |
| Nov 2016 | Vladimir Kramnik | 2,810 | Medias Kings Rapid Match 10th | C17 |
| May 2017 | Ian Nepomniachtchi | 2,751 | Moscow FIDE GP | D35 |
| Jul 2014 | Anish Giri | 2,750 | Biel Suri Memorial | B51 |
| Jul 2017 | David Navara | 2,737 | 50th Biel Accentus Rapid | C65 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed Chess w | 2023 | 135 | 80 | 2,570 |
| Beijing Sportaccord Blitz w | 2014 | 81 | 55 | 2,666 |
| Speed Chess Main w | 2021 | 80 | 48 | 2,530 |
| WSCC 2026 | 2026 | 73 | 43.5 | 2,551 |
| ch-CHN | 2014 | 65 | 29.5 | 2,554 |
| WSCC | 2025 | 61 | 35 | 2,551 |
| World-ch w k.o. | 2012 | 52 | 34.5 | 2,547 |
| Speed Chess GP4 w | 2020 | 39 | 26.5 | 2,621 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Harika Dronavalli (89 games) · Kateryna Lagno (83 games) · Alexandra Kosteniuk (69 games) · Humpy Koneru (66 games) · Bibisara Assaubayeva (58 games) · Wenjun Ju (53 games) · Fabiano Caruana (39 games) · Valentina Gunina (38 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,602 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Yifan Hou's chess games?
2,602 games by Yifan Hou, from Jan 2004 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 Yifan Hou has played.
What does Yifan Hou play on the first move as White?
Across 1,305 games with White in our database, Yifan Hou opens with 1.e4 (90% of games), 1.c4 (3% of games), 1.Nf3 (3% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Yifan Hou answers 1...c5 (76% of games), 1...e6 (15% of games), 1...e5 (7% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (66% of games), 1...e6 (29% of games), 1...d5 (4% of games).
What openings does Yifan Hou play as White?
As White, Yifan Hou's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (140 games, 50.7% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (107 games, 46.7% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (96 games, 45.8% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,305 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Yifan Hou play as Black?
As Black, Yifan Hou most often plays: Sicilian (173 games, 53.8% win rate); Catalan (89 games, 27.0% win rate); Indian Defense (86 games, 37.2% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,297 games.
What is Yifan Hou's FIDE rating?
Yifan Hou is currently rated 2,596 in classical chess, 2,529 in rapid and 2,521 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,686 (May 2015).
How many games has Yifan Hou played?
Our database contains 2,602 games by Yifan Hou, covering Jan 2004 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 1,126 wins, 825 draws, 651 losses (43.3% win rate).
How do I prepare against Yifan Hou?
2,602 games by Yifan Hou 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.