Prepare against Craig Hilby
IM · United States · World #949 classical · FIDE ID 2062674
Our database contains 617 games by Craig Hilby, covering Sep 2011 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Craig Hilby's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Craig Hilby 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 | 2,456 | 2,456 | Aug 2026 |
| Rapid | 2,420 | 2,433 | Mar 2019 |
| Blitz | 2,387 | 2,433 | Mar 2019 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 617 | 230 | 203 | 184 | 37.3% |
| As White | 302 | 114 | 112 | 76 | 37.7% |
| As Black | 315 | 116 | 91 | 108 | 36.8% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Craig Hilby's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Craig Hilby's side.
First moves as White (302 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 140 | 46.4% | 57.5% |
| d4 | 107 | 35.4% | 53.7% |
| Nf3 | 23 | 7.6% | 63.0% |
| c4 | 17 | 5.6% | 50.0% |
| e3 | 5 | 1.7% | 50.0% |
| Nh3 | 4 | 1.3% | 75.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 46% of White games, 57.5% score
- …c5 (49% of these games) — Hilby usually continues Nf3 (59.6% score)
- …e5 (19% of these games) — Hilby usually continues Nf3 (43.8% score)
- …c6 (13% of these games) — Hilby usually continues d4 (52.8% score)
- 1.d4 — 35% of White games, 53.7% score
- …Nf6 (60% of these games) — Hilby usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- …d5 (30% of these games) — Hilby usually continues c4 (54.2% score)
- …g6 (6% of these games) — Hilby usually continues e4 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (132 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 79 | 59.8% | 47.5% |
| c5 | 28 | 21.2% | 73.2% |
| Na6 | 9 | 6.8% | 61.1% |
| e6 | 8 | 6.1% | 43.8% |
| g6 | 6 | 4.5% | 66.7% |
| h6 | 1 | 0.8% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (109 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 59 | 54.1% | 40.7% |
| d5 | 20 | 18.3% | 47.5% |
| g6 | 20 | 18.3% | 60.0% |
| e6 | 7 | 6.4% | 42.9% |
| Na6 | 2 | 1.8% | 75.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.9% | 0.0% |
Craig Hilby's chess games
All 617 games by Craig Hilby 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: 230 wins, 203 draws, 184 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E04 | Catalan | 28 | 9/12/7 | 32.1% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 27 | 13/5/9 | 48.1% |
| B41 | Sicilian | 17 | 4/10/3 | 23.5% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 12 | 4/6/2 | 33.3% |
| C48 | Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation | 11 | 1/7/3 | 9.1% |
| A45 | Trompowsky Attack | 11 | 5/2/4 | 45.5% |
| D85 | Indian Defense | 10 | 4/3/3 | 40.0% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 10 | 1/5/4 | 10.0% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 8 | 3/2/3 | 37.5% |
| A13 | English Opening | 8 | 3/3/2 | 37.5% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A40 | Modern Defense | 40 | 18/7/15 | 45.0% |
| A61 | Benoni Defense | 26 | 8/7/11 | 30.8% |
| C72 | Ruy Lopez: Steinitz Defense Deferred | 24 | 10/8/6 | 41.7% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 19 | 4/6/9 | 21.1% |
| A16 | English Opening | 17 | 6/5/6 | 35.3% |
| D05 | Indian Defense | 16 | 5/5/6 | 31.3% |
| A04 | Réti Opening | 10 | 5/2/3 | 50.0% |
| E06 | Catalan | 9 | 4/2/3 | 44.4% |
| B12 | Lemming Defense | 9 | 5/1/3 | 55.6% |
| C95 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 9 | 1/2/6 | 11.1% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2018 | Anton Kovalyov | 2,644 | 84th Southwest Open | D90 |
| Aug 2019 | Kamil Dragun | 2,614 | 85th Southwest Open | B12 |
| Jun 2026 | Zhou Jianchao | 2,612 | DC International 2026 | A34 |
| May 2018 | Aleksandr Lenderman | 2,611 | North Eastern Masters GM 2nd | A13 |
| Jun 2022 | Daniel Fridman | 2,608 | 15th Teplice Open | A11 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2024 | 49 | 24.5 | 2,245 |
| PRO League Stage | 2019 | 38 | 13.5 | 2,372 |
| US Collegiate Blitz | 2021 | 25 | 14.5 | 2,253 |
| Charlotte CCCSA Spring GM | 2021 | 18 | 7 | 2,350 |
| US Collegiate Rapid | 2021 | 18 | 11 | 2,318 |
| Charlotte CCCSA Fall GM-B | 2023 | 18 | 6.5 | 2,330 |
| ch-North American U20 | 2019 | 18 | 12 | 2,412 |
| Charlotte Open | 2023 | 12 | 7 | 2,339 |
Interactive opening tree from all 617 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Craig Hilby's chess games?
617 games by Craig Hilby, 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 Craig Hilby has played.
What does Craig Hilby play on the first move as White?
Across 302 games with White in our database, Craig Hilby opens with 1.e4 (46% of games), 1.d4 (35% of games), 1.Nf3 (8% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Craig Hilby answers 1...e5 (60% of games), 1...c5 (21% of games), 1...Na6 (7% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (54% of games), 1...d5 (18% of games), 1...g6 (18% of games).
What openings does Craig Hilby play as White?
As White, Craig Hilby's most-played openings in our database are: Catalan (28 games, 32.1% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (27 games, 48.1% win rate); Sicilian (17 games, 23.5% win rate). The full breakdown of 302 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Craig Hilby play as Black?
As Black, Craig Hilby most often plays: Modern Defense (40 games, 45.0% win rate); Benoni Defense (26 games, 30.8% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Steinitz Defense Deferred (24 games, 41.7% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 315 games.
What is Craig Hilby's FIDE rating?
Craig Hilby is currently rated 2,456 in classical chess, 2,420 in rapid and 2,387 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,456 (Aug 2026).
How many games has Craig Hilby played?
Our database contains 617 games by Craig Hilby, covering Sep 2011 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 230 wins, 203 draws, 184 losses (37.3% win rate).
How do I prepare against Craig Hilby?
617 games by Craig Hilby 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.