Raunak Sadhwani’s repertoire is a neat mirror of his personality: sharp and combative as White, but solid and reliable as Black. He’s a modern 1.e4 player who is equally happy grinding a classical Italian or diving into the most double-edged Sicilian theory — and then, with the black pieces, he tends to reach for structures where sound understanding beats memorization. Here’s the tour. (Repertoires evolve over a career, so treat this as the shape of his choices rather than a fixed script.)
As White: 1.e4 and the Italian Game
Raunak’s most-played white weapon is the classical Italian Game — the age-old 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 setup that aims the bishop straight at Black’s most sensitive square (f7). In its modern form, White often follows with a quiet c3 and d3, building a big pawn center and playing for a slow, strategic squeeze rather than an immediate assault.
The Italian suits him because it’s flexible and deeply strategic without being drawish — there’s always a fight to be had, but on terms he understands. It’s also a wonderful opening for improving players to learn, because the plans are clear and the ideas transfer to countless other 1.e4 positions.
As White: the sharp Open Sicilians
When opponents answer 1.e4 with the Sicilian, Raunak is happy to take the fight to its sharpest form — the Open Sicilian, playing 2.Nf3 and 3.d4 to blow the center open. Against the famous Najdorf, that leads to some of the most heavily analyzed, knife-edge positions in the whole game.
This is Raunak’s tactical side on full display. The Open Sicilian is where the game’s biggest theoretical battles are fought, and entering it as White is a statement of ambition: he isn’t looking to neutralize the Sicilian, he’s looking to out-calculate it.
As White: the offbeat 1.b3
For variety — and to sidestep an opponent’s deep preparation — Raunak also has a taste for the Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack, the flank system that begins with the unassuming 1.b3. It develops the bishop to b2 on the long diagonal and keeps the position flexible, steering the game toward “just chess” where understanding matters more than memorized theory. Raunak knows the system well enough to have produced coaching material on it — a nice signal of how comfortable he is in these fresh, less-charted waters.
As Black: the solid Caro-Kann
With the black pieces, Raunak’s outlook flips toward the solid and sound. His go-to against 1.e4 is often the Caro-Kann Defense — a rock-solid opening that challenges the center with 1…c6 and 2…d5 while keeping Black’s pawn structure clean. Unlike the Sicilian’s chaos, the Caro-Kann offers reliability and a durable structure that’s tough to crack.
The Caro-Kann tells you a lot about Raunak’s balance as a player. Someone who happily enters the Najdorf as White but chooses the Caro-Kann as Black clearly isn’t a reckless attacker — he picks his battles, complicating when it favors him and keeping things sound when it doesn’t.
As Black: the Berlin and Ruy Lopez
When opponents open with the classical Spanish, Raunak has also relied on the famously durable Berlin lines of the Ruy Lopez — a system so solid it’s a favorite of the world elite for holding the balance with Black. It’s another sign of his classical, well-rounded taste: he’s comfortable defending sound positions and outplaying opponents from a stable footing.
The theme tying it all together
Notice the pattern: Raunak’s choices are sharp where he holds the initiative and solid where he doesn’t. As White he plays for the fight — the Italian’s slow squeeze, the Open Sicilian’s fireworks, the offbeat 1.b3 to duck preparation. As Black he leans on dependable, well-understood structures like the Caro-Kann and the Berlin. It’s the repertoire of a player who wants to outplay opponents, not gamble against them.
Want to see these lines produce results? Head to his best games, or read how the repertoire fits his approach in his playing style.
FAQ
What opening does Raunak Sadhwani play as White? Mainly 1.e4 — the classical Italian Game as a main weapon, the sharp Open Sicilian when opponents allow it, and the offbeat Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack (1.b3) for variety.
What does Raunak Sadhwani play as Black? He favors solid, sound choices — most characteristically the Caro-Kann Defense against 1.e4, and the durable Berlin lines of the Ruy Lopez.
Does Raunak Sadhwani play the Sicilian? As White, yes — he’s happy to enter the sharpest Open Sicilian and Najdorf positions. As Black he tends toward the more solid Caro-Kann rather than the Sicilian.
Can a beginner play Raunak’s openings? Absolutely. The Italian Game, Caro-Kann, and Ruy Lopez are all mainstream, well-documented openings — our opening guides above are a great place to start.
Keep exploring
Back to the Raunak Sadhwani profile · his playing style · his best games · or browse all chess players. Learn the lines: Italian Game · Sicilian Defense · Caro-Kann · Ruy Lopez.
Written and fact-checked by the Chess Lab Academy Editorial Team · Facts verified against Wikipedia, his FIDE profile, and Chess.com, as of July 2026 · Last verified 2026-07-10 · How we verify content.