Prepare against David C Smerdon
GM · Australia · World #906 classical · FIDE ID 3202305
When preparing against David C Smerdon, expect 1.e4 in 92% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...d5 (36% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (68%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Sicilian: Dragon as Black, 27.8% over 18 games.
Our database contains 912 games by David C Smerdon, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find David C Smerdon's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout David C Smerdon 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 | 2,461 | 2,533 | Apr 2017 |
| Rapid | 2,539 | 2,573 | Sep 2015 |
| Blitz | 2,469 | 2,521 | Jan 2016 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 912 | 477 | 253 | 182 | 52.3% |
| As White | 464 | 262 | 123 | 79 | 56.5% |
| As Black | 448 | 215 | 130 | 103 | 48.0% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of David C Smerdon's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from David C Smerdon's side.
First moves as White (465 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 429 | 92.3% | 69.1% |
| d4 | 26 | 5.6% | 71.2% |
| Nf3 | 3 | 0.6% | 100.0% |
| Nc3 | 3 | 0.6% | 100.0% |
| a3 | 1 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
| Na3 | 1 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 92% of White games, 69.1% score
- …c5 (40% of these games) — Smerdon usually continues c3 (62.9% score)
- …e5 (20% of these games) — Smerdon usually continues Nf3 (66.0% score)
- …e6 (17% of these games) — Smerdon usually continues d4 (62.3% score)
- 1.d4 — 6% of White games, 71.2% score
- …Nf6 (73% of these games) — Smerdon usually continues Bg5 (77.8% score)
- …c5 (12% of these games) — Smerdon usually continues d5 (83.3% score)
- …e6 (8% of these games) — Smerdon usually continues e3 (100.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (216 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 77 | 35.6% | 73.4% |
| e6 | 74 | 34.3% | 62.8% |
| c5 | 51 | 23.6% | 54.9% |
| Nf6 | 10 | 4.6% | 75.0% |
| e5 | 4 | 1.9% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (127 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 86 | 67.7% | 69.2% |
| e6 | 32 | 25.2% | 46.9% |
| d5 | 8 | 6.3% | 56.3% |
| c5 | 1 | 0.8% | 100.0% |
David C Smerdon's chess games
All 912 games by David C Smerdon in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Sep 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: 477 wins, 253 draws, 182 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 105 | 51/30/24 | 48.6% |
| B22 | Sicilian | 55 | 37/10/8 | 67.3% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 31 | 12/10/9 | 38.7% |
| B11 | Caro-Kann | 20 | 13/1/6 | 65.0% |
| C56 | Italian Game | 17 | 9/6/2 | 52.9% |
| C47 | Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation | 16 | 7/8/1 | 43.8% |
| C45 | Scotch Game | 16 | 9/3/4 | 56.3% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 15 | 10/2/3 | 66.7% |
| C00 | French Defense | 15 | 13/2/0 | 86.7% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 13 | 7/4/2 | 53.8% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B01 | Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation | 65 | 41/15/9 | 63.1% |
| A70 | Benoni Defense | 35 | 19/8/8 | 54.3% |
| C12 | French: Classical Variation | 35 | 17/7/11 | 48.6% |
| A16 | English Opening | 34 | 15/10/9 | 44.1% |
| A47 | Indian Defense | 28 | 13/9/6 | 46.4% |
| C03 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 20 | 9/6/5 | 45.0% |
| E05 | Catalan | 18 | 13/3/2 | 72.2% |
| B78 | Sicilian: Dragon | 18 | 5/9/4 | 27.8% |
| D38 | Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense | 14 | 7/4/3 | 50.0% |
| A90 | Horwitz Defense | 11 | 2/6/3 | 18.2% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2016 | Arkadij Naiditsch | 2,684 | Bundesliga 2015-16 | A22 |
| Sep 2010 | Tomi Nyback | 2,635 | Olympiad-39 | B00 |
| Sep 2016 | Alexandr Fier | 2,634 | Olympiad-42 | D20 |
| Jul 2014 | Georg Meier | 2,632 | 36th Politiken Cup | E05 |
| Mar 2007 | Merab Gagunashvili | 2,611 | 23rd Cappelle Open | C41 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | 2015 | 52 | 36 | 2,439 |
| ch-AUS | 2006 | 44 | 26 | 2,392 |
| Oceania zt | 2011 | 36 | 24.5 | 2,409 |
| ch-AUS U18 | 2001 | 33 | 27.5 | 2,038 |
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 29 | 15 | 2,362 |
| Queenstown Open | 2009 | 20 | 16 | 2,580 |
| Hoogeveen Essent Open | 2007 | 18 | 10 | 2,400 |
| Sydney Open | 2010 | 17 | 11.5 | 2,463 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Darryl K Johansen (15 games) · Stephen J Solomon (13 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 912 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find David C Smerdon's chess games?
912 games by David C Smerdon, from Apr 2003 to Sep 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 David C Smerdon has played.
What does David C Smerdon play on the first move as White?
Across 465 games with White in our database, David C Smerdon opens with 1.e4 (92% of games), 1.d4 (6% of games), 1.Nf3 (1% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, David C Smerdon answers 1...d5 (36% of games), 1...e6 (34% of games), 1...c5 (24% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (68% of games), 1...e6 (25% of games), 1...d5 (6% of games).
What openings does David C Smerdon play as White?
As White, David C Smerdon's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian: Alapin (105 games, 48.6% win rate); Sicilian (55 games, 67.3% win rate); French: Advance Variation (31 games, 38.7% win rate). The full breakdown of 464 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does David C Smerdon play as Black?
As Black, David C Smerdon most often plays: Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation (65 games, 63.1% win rate); Benoni Defense (35 games, 54.3% win rate); French: Classical Variation (35 games, 48.6% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 448 games.
What is David C Smerdon's FIDE rating?
David C Smerdon is currently rated 2,461 in classical chess, 2,539 in rapid and 2,469 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,533 (Apr 2017).
How many games has David C Smerdon played?
Our database contains 912 games by David C Smerdon, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 477 wins, 253 draws, 182 losses (52.3% win rate).
How do I prepare against David C Smerdon?
912 games by David C Smerdon 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.