Prepare against A Jonathan Mestel
GM · United Kingdom · World #1,400 classical · FIDE ID 400122
When preparing against A Jonathan Mestel, expect 1.e4 in 69% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (81% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (58%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Pirc Defense as Black, 31.3% over 16 games.
Our database contains 1,025 games by A Jonathan Mestel, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find A Jonathan Mestel's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout A Jonathan Mestel 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 | 2,417 | 2,499 | Apr 2005 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,025 | 438 | 331 | 256 | 42.7% |
| As White | 512 | 239 | 177 | 96 | 46.7% |
| As Black | 513 | 199 | 154 | 160 | 38.8% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of A Jonathan Mestel's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from A Jonathan Mestel's side.
First moves as White (512 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 353 | 68.9% | 63.0% |
| c4 | 104 | 20.3% | 67.3% |
| Nf3 | 25 | 4.9% | 64.0% |
| g3 | 16 | 3.1% | 68.8% |
| d4 | 13 | 2.5% | 57.7% |
| Nc3 | 1 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 69% of White games, 63.0% score
- …c5 (45% of these games) — Mestel usually continues Nf3 (61.7% score)
- …e5 (22% of these games) — Mestel usually continues Nf3 (63.4% score)
- …e6 (13% of these games) — Mestel usually continues d4 (60.0% score)
- 1.c4 — 20% of White games, 67.3% score
- …Nf6 (27% of these games) — Mestel usually continues Nc3 (72.7% score)
- …e5 (18% of these games) — Mestel usually continues Nc3 (77.8% score)
- …e6 (16% of these games) — Mestel usually continues Nf3 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (208 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 169 | 81.3% | 57.7% |
| e5 | 10 | 4.8% | 40.0% |
| c6 | 8 | 3.8% | 56.3% |
| e6 | 8 | 3.8% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 6 | 2.9% | 83.3% |
| d6 | 5 | 2.4% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (175 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 101 | 57.7% | 49.5% |
| g6 | 37 | 21.1% | 56.8% |
| d6 | 24 | 13.7% | 35.4% |
| d5 | 9 | 5.1% | 61.1% |
| e6 | 4 | 2.3% | 62.5% |
A Jonathan Mestel's chess games
All 1,025 games by A Jonathan Mestel 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: 438 wins, 331 draws, 256 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B41 | Sicilian | 58 | 30/14/14 | 51.7% |
| B92 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 44 | 16/16/12 | 36.4% |
| A13 | English Opening | 27 | 13/9/5 | 48.1% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 26 | 12/6/8 | 46.2% |
| A25 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 23 | 14/5/4 | 60.9% |
| C09 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 23 | 9/12/2 | 39.1% |
| B83 | Sicilian: Scheveningen | 16 | 6/6/4 | 37.5% |
| A14 | English Opening: Neo-Catalan | 15 | 6/7/2 | 40.0% |
| A34 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 15 | 8/4/3 | 53.3% |
| C50 | Italian Game | 15 | 6/6/3 | 40.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B78 | Sicilian: Dragon | 91 | 49/18/24 | 53.8% |
| A42 | Modern Defense | 79 | 34/25/20 | 43.0% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 29 | 12/7/10 | 41.4% |
| A53 | Indian Defense | 28 | 10/7/11 | 35.7% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 24 | 14/6/4 | 58.3% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 17 | 6/2/9 | 35.3% |
| B06 | Pirc Defense | 16 | 5/3/8 | 31.3% |
| A34 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 14 | 4/4/6 | 28.6% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 14 | 2/7/5 | 14.3% |
| A30 | English Opening | 13 | 5/6/2 | 38.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1982 | Lajos Portisch | 2,630 | London Phillips&Drew | B41 |
| Jul 1978 | Bent Larsen | 2,620 | Esbjerg North Sea Cup 03 | E90 |
| Jan 1990 | Lev Polugaevsky | 2,610 | Reykjavik Summit | B82 |
| May 1982 | John D M Nunn | 2,590 | Zonal Playoff | B92 |
| Oct 1999 | John M Emms | 2,586 | chT-BCF 9900 (4NCL) | B17 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-BCF | 1988 | 33 | 23.5 | 2,611 |
| Beersheba | 1988 | 27 | 15.5 | 2,536 |
| London Phillips&Drew | 1984 | 26 | 10 | 2,499 |
| Christmas Congress 1980/81-56 Premier | 1981 | 15 | 6.5 | 2,427 |
| Christmas Congress 1972/73 | 1973 | 15 | 3.5 | – |
| Birmingham Zetters | 1975 | 15 | 10 | 2,568 |
| Christmas Congress 1974/75 | 1975 | 15 | 3.5 | 2,196 |
| Christmas Congress 1979/80-55 Premier | 1980 | 15 | 5 | 2,354 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Jon S Speelman (19 games) · H James Plaskett (12 games) · John D M Nunn (10 games) · Nigel D Short (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,025 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find A Jonathan Mestel's chess games?
1,025 games by A Jonathan Mestel, 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 A Jonathan Mestel has played.
What does A Jonathan Mestel play on the first move as White?
Across 512 games with White in our database, A Jonathan Mestel opens with 1.e4 (69% of games), 1.c4 (20% of games), 1.Nf3 (5% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, A Jonathan Mestel answers 1...c5 (81% of games), 1...e5 (5% of games), 1...c6 (4% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (58% of games), 1...g6 (21% of games), 1...d6 (14% of games).
What openings does A Jonathan Mestel play as White?
As White, A Jonathan Mestel's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (58 games, 51.7% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (44 games, 36.4% win rate); English Opening (27 games, 48.1% win rate). The full breakdown of 512 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does A Jonathan Mestel play as Black?
As Black, A Jonathan Mestel most often plays: Sicilian: Dragon (91 games, 53.8% win rate); Modern Defense (79 games, 43.0% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (29 games, 41.4% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 513 games.
What is A Jonathan Mestel's FIDE rating?
A Jonathan Mestel is currently rated 2,417 in classical chess. Peak classical rating: 2,499 (Apr 2005).
How many games has A Jonathan Mestel played?
Our database contains 1,025 games by A Jonathan Mestel, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 438 wins, 331 draws, 256 losses (42.7% win rate).
How do I prepare against A Jonathan Mestel?
1,025 games by A Jonathan Mestel 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.