Prepare against Zahar Efimenko
GM · Ukraine · World #319 classical · FIDE ID 14107201
Our database contains 2,086 games by Zahar Efimenko, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Zahar Efimenko's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Zahar Efimenko 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 | 2,548 | 2,708 | Mar 2011 |
| Rapid | 2,607 | 2,708 | Oct 2012 |
| Blitz | 2,546 | 2,719 | Feb 2013 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,086 | 817 | 938 | 331 | 39.2% |
| As White | 1,050 | 464 | 454 | 132 | 44.2% |
| As Black | 1,036 | 353 | 484 | 199 | 34.1% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Zahar Efimenko's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Zahar Efimenko's side.
First moves as White (1,050 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 783 | 74.6% | 66.2% |
| Nf3 | 218 | 20.8% | 63.5% |
| d4 | 42 | 4.0% | 71.4% |
| c4 | 7 | 0.7% | 64.3% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 75% of White games, 66.2% score
- …c5 (42% of these games) — Efimenko usually continues Nf3 (67.8% score)
- …e5 (29% of these games) — Efimenko usually continues Nf3 (59.0% score)
- …e6 (11% of these games) — Efimenko usually continues d4 (70.7% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 21% of White games, 63.5% score
- …Nf6 (42% of these games) — Efimenko usually continues g3 (67.1% score)
- …d5 (40% of these games) — Efimenko usually continues g3 (56.3% score)
- …c5 (10% of these games) — Efimenko usually continues g3 (64.3% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (454 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 186 | 41.0% | 58.1% |
| e5 | 179 | 39.4% | 54.7% |
| e6 | 40 | 8.8% | 63.7% |
| g6 | 28 | 6.2% | 71.4% |
| d6 | 20 | 4.4% | 77.5% |
| d5 | 1 | 0.2% | 0.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (415 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 320 | 77.1% | 56.6% |
| d6 | 53 | 12.8% | 50.9% |
| g6 | 22 | 5.3% | 75.0% |
| d5 | 13 | 3.1% | 50.0% |
| c5 | 5 | 1.2% | 40.0% |
| b6 | 1 | 0.2% | 0.0% |
Zahar Efimenko's chess games
All 2,086 games by Zahar Efimenko in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Jul 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: 817 wins, 938 draws, 331 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B30 | Sicilian | 122 | 53/60/9 | 43.4% |
| A11 | Réti Opening | 104 | 42/36/26 | 40.4% |
| B92 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 85 | 34/41/10 | 40.0% |
| C65 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 48 | 15/26/7 | 31.3% |
| C88 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 48 | 15/23/10 | 31.3% |
| C05 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 44 | 21/18/5 | 47.7% |
| A49 | Réti Opening: Symmetrical Defense | 36 | 20/12/4 | 55.6% |
| C77 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 36 | 13/19/4 | 36.1% |
| B19 | Caro-Kann: Classical | 30 | 10/18/2 | 33.3% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 29 | 8/19/2 | 27.6% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C95 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 76 | 19/34/23 | 25.0% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 73 | 28/29/16 | 38.4% |
| E61 | Indian Defense | 69 | 25/29/15 | 36.2% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 67 | 12/45/10 | 17.9% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 58 | 35/16/7 | 60.3% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 38 | 14/18/6 | 36.8% |
| A13 | English Opening | 36 | 9/20/7 | 25.0% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 36 | 22/6/8 | 61.1% |
| B20 | Sicilian | 34 | 14/12/8 | 41.2% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 31 | 7/15/9 | 22.6% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2008 | Alexander Morozevich | 2,787 | Olympiad-38 | C03 |
| Jun 2014 | Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | 2,743 | Wch Rapid | B12 |
| Jan 2007 | Michael Adams | 2,735 | Gibraltar Masters | C54 |
| Jun 2014 | Pentala Harikrishna | 2,726 | Wch Rapid | E14 |
| Sep 2010 | Vladimir Malakhov | 2,725 | Olympiad-39 | C67 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 192 | 125 | 2,482 |
| Moscow Aeroflot Open A | 2007 | 39 | 22 | 2,649 |
| ch-UKR | 2015 | 37 | 23 | 2,596 |
| Gibraltar Masters | 2007 | 28 | 20.5 | 2,713 |
| Wch Rapid | 2021 | 25 | 15.5 | 2,742 |
| Wch U14 | 1999 | 22 | 16.5 | 2,435 |
| chT-SRB 1st League | 2010 | 22 | 15.5 | 2,753 |
| Wch Blitz | 2021 | 21 | 11.5 | 2,553 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Pavel Eljanov (28 games) · Ruslan Ponomariov (25 games) · Yuriy Kuzubov (22 games) · Alexander Areshchenko (20 games) · Anton Korobov (18 games) · Andrei Volokitin (16 games) · Ferenc Berkes (15 games) · Arkadij Naiditsch (12 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,086 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Zahar Efimenko's chess games?
2,086 games by Zahar Efimenko, from Apr 2003 to Jul 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 Zahar Efimenko has played.
What does Zahar Efimenko play on the first move as White?
Across 1,050 games with White in our database, Zahar Efimenko opens with 1.e4 (75% of games), 1.Nf3 (21% of games), 1.d4 (4% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Zahar Efimenko answers 1...c5 (41% of games), 1...e5 (39% of games), 1...e6 (9% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (77% of games), 1...d6 (13% of games), 1...g6 (5% of games).
What openings does Zahar Efimenko play as White?
As White, Zahar Efimenko's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (122 games, 43.4% win rate); Réti Opening (104 games, 40.4% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (85 games, 40.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,050 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Zahar Efimenko play as Black?
As Black, Zahar Efimenko most often plays: Ruy Lopez: Closed (76 games, 25.0% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (73 games, 38.4% win rate); Indian Defense (69 games, 36.2% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,036 games.
What is Zahar Efimenko's FIDE rating?
Zahar Efimenko is currently rated 2,548 in classical chess, 2,607 in rapid and 2,546 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,708 (Mar 2011).
How many games has Zahar Efimenko played?
Our database contains 2,086 games by Zahar Efimenko, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 817 wins, 938 draws, 331 losses (39.2% win rate).
How do I prepare against Zahar Efimenko?
2,086 games by Zahar Efimenko 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.