Prepare against Yuriy Kuzubov
GM · Ukraine · World #189 classical · FIDE ID 14112906
When preparing against Yuriy Kuzubov, expect 1.d4 in 75% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (56% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (73%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Petrov's Defense as Black, 27.5% over 120 games.
Our database contains 3,640 games by Yuriy Kuzubov, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Yuriy Kuzubov's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Yuriy Kuzubov 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 | 2,587 | 2,699 | Dec 2017 |
| Rapid | 2,580 | 2,697 | Aug 2020 |
| Blitz | 2,531 | 2,712 | Feb 2016 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3,640 | 1,816 | 1,046 | 778 | 49.9% |
| As White | 1,833 | 1,000 | 493 | 340 | 54.6% |
| As Black | 1,807 | 816 | 553 | 438 | 45.2% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Yuriy Kuzubov's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Yuriy Kuzubov's side.
First moves as White (1,833 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 1,376 | 75.1% | 68.1% |
| e4 | 162 | 8.8% | 64.2% |
| c4 | 149 | 8.1% | 71.8% |
| Nf3 | 136 | 7.4% | 66.9% |
| g3 | 9 | 0.5% | 77.8% |
| d3 | 1 | 0.1% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 75% of White games, 68.1% score
- …Nf6 (62% of these games) — Kuzubov usually continues c4 (66.5% score)
- …d5 (28% of these games) — Kuzubov usually continues c4 (68.6% score)
- …e6 (3% of these games) — Kuzubov usually continues c4 (51.4% score)
- 1.e4 — 9% of White games, 64.2% score
- …c5 (44% of these games) — Kuzubov usually continues Nf3 (68.4% score)
- …e5 (25% of these games) — Kuzubov usually continues Nf3 (57.5% score)
- …c6 (11% of these games) — Kuzubov usually continues Nc3 (64.3% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (859 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 477 | 55.5% | 61.2% |
| e5 | 181 | 21.1% | 50.0% |
| e6 | 100 | 11.6% | 67.0% |
| c6 | 53 | 6.2% | 63.2% |
| d6 | 21 | 2.4% | 59.5% |
| g6 | 16 | 1.9% | 53.1% |
As Black against 1.d4 (650 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 475 | 73.1% | 62.7% |
| g6 | 74 | 11.4% | 60.8% |
| d5 | 58 | 8.9% | 44.8% |
| f5 | 25 | 3.8% | 58.0% |
| d6 | 8 | 1.2% | 56.3% |
| e6 | 7 | 1.1% | 50.0% |
Yuriy Kuzubov's chess games
All 3,640 games by Yuriy Kuzubov 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: 1,816 wins, 1,046 draws, 778 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D45 | Slav Defense | 246 | 136/64/46 | 55.3% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 245 | 136/55/54 | 55.5% |
| D02 | King's Indian Defense | 120 | 66/23/31 | 55.0% |
| E05 | Catalan | 86 | 50/21/15 | 58.1% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 72 | 42/10/20 | 58.3% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 72 | 40/15/17 | 55.6% |
| A13 | English Opening | 64 | 34/24/6 | 53.1% |
| D38 | Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense | 58 | 34/18/6 | 58.6% |
| E11 | Bogo-Indian Defense | 56 | 36/6/14 | 64.3% |
| E46 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 54 | 31/16/7 | 57.4% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 194 | 91/55/48 | 46.9% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 120 | 33/52/35 | 27.5% |
| B30 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 103 | 39/44/20 | 37.9% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 102 | 53/17/32 | 52.0% |
| B20 | Sicilian | 88 | 38/24/26 | 43.2% |
| E05 | Catalan | 84 | 35/35/14 | 41.7% |
| A09 | Réti Opening | 70 | 37/17/16 | 52.9% |
| B38 | Sicilian: Accelerated Dragon | 69 | 43/14/12 | 62.3% |
| B33 | Sicilian: Sveshnikov | 62 | 25/21/16 | 40.3% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 60 | 25/22/13 | 41.7% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2022 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,864 | NOR-UKR Solidarity m | D10 |
| Sep 2017 | Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | 2,797 | FIDE World Cup | D37 |
| Feb 2024 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2,788 | Titled Tue Early | B15 |
| Sep 2023 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,786 | AI Cup Div 2 L | D38 |
| Dec 2017 | Alexander Grischuk | 2,772 | Wch Rapid | C00 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 892 | 604 | 2,567 |
| chT-TUR | 2022 | 70 | 36.5 | 2,619 |
| chT-ESP CECLUB Honor | 2022 | 45 | 23 | 2,638 |
| chT-ROM | 2023 | 43 | 30 | 2,647 |
| Wch Blitz | 2023 | 42 | 22 | 2,609 |
| Reykjavik Open | 2013 | 37 | 26.5 | 2,607 |
| FIDE Grand Swiss | 2025 | 33 | 17 | 2,673 |
| Wch Rapid | 2023 | 27 | 14 | 2,597 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Anton Korobov (28 games) · Vladimir Baklan (27 games) · Pavel Eljanov (24 games) · Zahar Efimenko (22 games) · Dmitry Andreikin (21 games) · Ruslan Ponomariov (19 games) · Volodymyr Onyshchuk (18 games) · Denis Lazavik (17 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 3,640 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Yuriy Kuzubov's chess games?
3,640 games by Yuriy Kuzubov, 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 Yuriy Kuzubov has played.
What does Yuriy Kuzubov play on the first move as White?
Across 1,833 games with White in our database, Yuriy Kuzubov opens with 1.d4 (75% of games), 1.e4 (9% of games), 1.c4 (8% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Yuriy Kuzubov answers 1...c5 (56% of games), 1...e5 (21% of games), 1...e6 (12% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (73% of games), 1...g6 (11% of games), 1...d5 (9% of games).
What openings does Yuriy Kuzubov play as White?
As White, Yuriy Kuzubov's most-played openings in our database are: Slav Defense (246 games, 55.3% win rate); Indian Defense (245 games, 55.5% win rate); King's Indian Defense (120 games, 55.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,833 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Yuriy Kuzubov play as Black?
As Black, Yuriy Kuzubov most often plays: Indian Defense (194 games, 46.9% win rate); Petrov's Defense (120 games, 27.5% win rate); Sicilian: Rossolimo (103 games, 37.9% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,807 games.
What is Yuriy Kuzubov's FIDE rating?
Yuriy Kuzubov is currently rated 2,587 in classical chess, 2,580 in rapid and 2,531 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,699 (Dec 2017).
How many games has Yuriy Kuzubov played?
Our database contains 3,640 games by Yuriy Kuzubov, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 1,816 wins, 1,046 draws, 778 losses (49.9% win rate).
How do I prepare against Yuriy Kuzubov?
3,640 games by Yuriy Kuzubov 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.