Prepare against Chris James
United Kingdom · World #54,851 classical · FIDE ID 2404249
Our database contains 83 games by Chris James, covering Sep 2011 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Chris James's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Chris James 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 | 1,874 | 2,044 | Mar 2012 |
| Rapid | 1,923 | 1,923 | Aug 2026 |
| Blitz | 1,962 | 1,962 | Aug 2026 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 83 | 21 | 27 | 35 | 25.3% |
| As White | 44 | 11 | 14 | 19 | 25.0% |
| As Black | 39 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 25.6% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Chris James's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Chris James's side.
First moves as White (44 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 37 | 84.1% | 40.5% |
| Nf3 | 4 | 9.1% | 37.5% |
| d4 | 2 | 4.5% | 75.0% |
| b4 | 1 | 2.3% | 0.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 84% of White games, 40.5% score
- …c5 (46% of these games) — James usually continues Nf3 (35.7% score)
- …c6 (22% of these games) — James usually continues d4 (42.9% score)
- …e5 (19% of these games) — James usually continues f4 (75.0% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 9% of White games, 37.5% score
- …Nf6 (50% of these games) — James usually continues d4 (50.0% score)
- …d5 (25% of these games) — James usually continues d4 (0.0% score)
- …c5 (25% of these games) — James usually continues e4 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (19 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 12 | 63.2% | 37.5% |
| e5 | 5 | 26.3% | 30.0% |
| d5 | 1 | 5.3% | 50.0% |
| c5 | 1 | 5.3% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (12 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 10 | 83.3% | 35.0% |
| f5 | 2 | 16.7% | 0.0% |
Chris James's chess games
All 83 games by Chris James in the Chess.ceo database (Sep 2011 - Aug 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: 21 wins, 27 draws, 35 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B50 | Sicilian | 10 | 1/3/6 | 10.0% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Fantasy Variation | 6 | 0/4/2 | 0.0% |
| C33 | King's Gambit | 4 | 3/0/1 | 75.0% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 4 | 1/2/1 | 25.0% |
| C24 | Vienna Game | 3 | 0/2/1 | 0.0% |
| A36 | Modern Defense | 3 | 1/1/1 | 33.3% |
| B10 | Caro-Kann | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| B34 | Sicilian: Accelerated Dragon | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| A49 | King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C10 | French Defense | 6 | 1/1/4 | 16.7% |
| D08 | Albin Countergambit | 5 | 0/4/1 | 0.0% |
| A80 | Dutch Defense | 4 | 1/1/2 | 25.0% |
| D00 | Queen's Pawn Game | 3 | 1/0/2 | 33.3% |
| C04 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 3 | 1/1/1 | 33.3% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| C40 | Latvian Gambit | 2 | 1/1/0 | 50.0% |
| A86 | English Opening: Dutch Defense | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| C23 | Bishop's Opening | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| C00 | King's Indian Attack | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2021 | Philip J Holt | 2,207 | 26th Leamington Spa 4NCL Open | A89 |
| Apr 2025 | Dimitri Aeschbacher | 2,142 | Reykjavik Open | C03 |
| May 2026 | Kanishka Bhatia | 2,063 | Perth Congress 2026 | Open | A46 |
| Apr 2023 | Walter Burnett | 1,992 | Perth Open A | A36 |
| Apr 2016 | Koen Delaere | 1,986 | Edinburgh Premier | B34 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavik Open | 2025 | 9 | 4 | 1,927 |
| Dundee & Angus Open | 2016 | 9 | 4 | 1,926 |
| 119th ch-SCO | 2012 | 9 | 4 | 1,838 |
| 2nd Bratislava exe Open | 2024 | 8 | 4 | 1,971 |
| Perth Congress 2026 | Open | 2026 | 6 | 3.5 | 2,028 |
| Perth Congress | 2017 | 5 | 2.5 | 1,883 |
| Sligo Masters 2025 | 2025 | 5 | 2 | 1,859 |
| Perth Open | 2016 | 4 | 0.5 | 1,668 |
Interactive opening tree from all 83 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Chris James's chess games?
83 games by Chris James, from Sep 2011 to Aug 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 Chris James has played.
What does Chris James play on the first move as White?
Across 44 games with White in our database, Chris James opens with 1.e4 (84% of games), 1.Nf3 (9% of games), 1.d4 (5% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Chris James answers 1...e6 (63% of games), 1...e5 (26% of games), 1...d5 (5% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (83% of games), 1...f5 (17% of games).
What openings does Chris James play as White?
As White, Chris James's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (10 games, 10.0% win rate); Caro-Kann: Fantasy Variation (6 games, 0.0% win rate); King's Gambit (4 games, 75.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 44 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Chris James play as Black?
As Black, Chris James most often plays: French Defense (6 games, 16.7% win rate); Albin Countergambit (5 games, 0.0% win rate); Dutch Defense (4 games, 25.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 39 games.
What is Chris James's FIDE rating?
Chris James is currently rated 1,874 in classical chess, 1,923 in rapid and 1,962 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,044 (Mar 2012).
How many games has Chris James played?
Our database contains 83 games by Chris James, covering Sep 2011 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 21 wins, 27 draws, 35 losses (25.3% win rate).
How do I prepare against Chris James?
83 games by Chris James 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.