Prepare against Damian McCarthy
United Kingdom · World #52,961 classical · FIDE ID 422240
Our database contains 313 games by Damian McCarthy, covering Sep 2010 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Damian McCarthy's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Damian McCarthy 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 | 1,881 | 1,934 | Dec 2012 |
| Rapid | 1,938 | 1,939 | Feb 2025 |
| Blitz | 1,836 | 1,893 | Sep 2024 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 313 | 98 | 112 | 103 | 31.3% |
| As White | 154 | 61 | 50 | 43 | 39.6% |
| As Black | 159 | 37 | 62 | 60 | 23.3% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Damian McCarthy's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Damian McCarthy's side.
First moves as White (154 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 130 | 84.4% | 56.2% |
| d4 | 15 | 9.7% | 50.0% |
| c4 | 8 | 5.2% | 62.5% |
| Nf3 | 1 | 0.6% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 84% of White games, 56.2% score
- …c5 (37% of these games) — McCarthy usually continues Nf3 (54.2% score)
- …e6 (22% of these games) — McCarthy usually continues d4 (69.0% score)
- …c6 (15% of these games) — McCarthy usually continues d4 (47.4% score)
- 1.d4 — 10% of White games, 50.0% score
- …Nf6 (40% of these games) — McCarthy usually continues c4 (41.7% score)
- …d5 (33% of these games) — McCarthy usually continues c4 (75.0% score)
- …f5 (13% of these games) — McCarthy usually continues e4 (0.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (74 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 68 | 91.9% | 44.9% |
| e5 | 5 | 6.8% | 30.0% |
| c6 | 1 | 1.4% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (55 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 42 | 76.4% | 35.7% |
| d5 | 10 | 18.2% | 45.0% |
| f5 | 3 | 5.5% | 50.0% |
Damian McCarthy's chess games
All 313 games by Damian McCarthy in the Chess.ceo database (Sep 2010 - 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: 98 wins, 112 draws, 103 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B43 | Sicilian | 13 | 4/4/5 | 30.8% |
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 11 | 7/2/2 | 63.6% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 10 | 2/5/3 | 20.0% |
| C10 | French Defense | 10 | 6/3/1 | 60.0% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 9 | 4/2/3 | 44.4% |
| C56 | Italian Game | 8 | 2/4/2 | 25.0% |
| C14 | French: Classical Variation | 7 | 4/1/2 | 57.1% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 7 | 1/3/3 | 14.3% |
| B15 | Caro-Kann: Main Line | 6 | 1/3/2 | 16.7% |
| A36 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 4 | 1/1/2 | 25.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B35 | Sicilian: Accelerated Dragon | 18 | 5/3/10 | 27.8% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 16 | 3/11/2 | 18.8% |
| A37 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 12 | 2/5/5 | 16.7% |
| E11 | Bogo-Indian Defense | 11 | 4/4/3 | 36.4% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 10 | 2/5/3 | 20.0% |
| B44 | Sicilian | 9 | 2/2/5 | 22.2% |
| B27 | Sicilian: Hyperaccelerated Dragon | 8 | 2/4/2 | 25.0% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 8 | 1/6/1 | 12.5% |
| D12 | Slav Defense | 6 | 1/2/3 | 16.7% |
| E42 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 5 | 0/2/3 | 0.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2019 | Nick J Rutter | 2,297 | chT3N-BCF 1819 (4NCL) | B33 |
| Dec 2013 | Simon M Warman | 2,119 | 5th London Classic Open | B43 |
| Apr 2023 | Peter Shaw | 2,079 | 34th ch-BCF rapidplay | E11 |
| May 2016 | Mark W White | 2,063 | chT-BCF 3Nd 1516 (4NCL) | B33 |
| Dec 2011 | Timothy Rogers | 2,061 | London Classic Open | D35 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-BCF Major Open | 2014 | 32 | 15 | 1,806 |
| Leyland Open | 2019 | 15 | 4.5 | 1,840 |
| 102nd ch-GBR Major | 2015 | 11 | 6 | 1,949 |
| 13th South Wales Open | 2016 | 10 | 4.5 | 1,882 |
| 34th ch-BCF rapidplay | 2023 | 10 | 5 | 2,035 |
| 111th ch-GBR Major Open | 2025 | 9 | 4.5 | 1,865 |
| ch-BCF Major | 2024 | 9 | 5.5 | 2,005 |
| 5th London Classic Open | 2013 | 9 | 3 | 1,852 |
Interactive opening tree from all 313 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Damian McCarthy's chess games?
313 games by Damian McCarthy, from Sep 2010 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 Damian McCarthy has played.
What does Damian McCarthy play on the first move as White?
Across 154 games with White in our database, Damian McCarthy opens with 1.e4 (84% of games), 1.d4 (10% of games), 1.c4 (5% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Damian McCarthy answers 1...c5 (92% of games), 1...e5 (7% of games), 1...c6 (1% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (76% of games), 1...d5 (18% of games), 1...f5 (5% of games).
What openings does Damian McCarthy play as White?
As White, Damian McCarthy's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (13 games, 30.8% win rate); French: Winawer Variation (11 games, 63.6% win rate); Sicilian: Closed (10 games, 20.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 154 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Damian McCarthy play as Black?
As Black, Damian McCarthy most often plays: Sicilian: Accelerated Dragon (18 games, 27.8% win rate); Sicilian: Closed (16 games, 18.8% win rate); English Opening: Symmetrical (12 games, 16.7% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 159 games.
What is Damian McCarthy's FIDE rating?
Damian McCarthy is currently rated 1,881 in classical chess, 1,938 in rapid and 1,836 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 1,934 (Dec 2012).
How many games has Damian McCarthy played?
Our database contains 313 games by Damian McCarthy, covering Sep 2010 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 98 wins, 112 draws, 103 losses (31.3% win rate).
How do I prepare against Damian McCarthy?
313 games by Damian McCarthy 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.