Prepare against David Southam
Canada · World #77,944 classical · FIDE ID 2601044
When preparing against David Southam, expect 1.d4 in 75% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e6 (51% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (38%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Modern Defense as Black, 26.3% over 19 games.
Our database contains 466 games by David Southam, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find David Southam's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout David Southam 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 | 1,796 | 2,170 | Apr 2003 |
| Blitz | 1,903 | 1,917 | Aug 2024 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 466 | 178 | 131 | 157 | 38.2% |
| As White | 231 | 93 | 60 | 78 | 40.3% |
| As Black | 235 | 85 | 71 | 79 | 36.2% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of David Southam's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from David Southam's side.
First moves as White (231 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 173 | 74.9% | 54.9% |
| e4 | 37 | 16.0% | 50.0% |
| Nf3 | 8 | 3.5% | 31.3% |
| c4 | 7 | 3.0% | 57.1% |
| g3 | 3 | 1.3% | 33.3% |
| f4 | 1 | 0.4% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 75% of White games, 54.9% score
- …Nf6 (64% of these games) — Southam usually continues c4 (52.3% score)
- …d5 (19% of these games) — Southam usually continues c4 (57.5% score)
- …g6 (6% of these games) — Southam usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- 1.e4 — 16% of White games, 50.0% score
- …e5 (32% of these games) — Southam usually continues Nf3 (38.9% score)
- …c5 (30% of these games) — Southam usually continues Nf3 (55.6% score)
- …e6 (11% of these games) — Southam usually continues d4 (33.3% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (104 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 53 | 51.0% | 67.9% |
| c5 | 24 | 23.1% | 45.8% |
| c6 | 11 | 10.6% | 45.5% |
| e5 | 11 | 10.6% | 40.9% |
| g6 | 3 | 2.9% | 16.7% |
| b6 | 1 | 1.0% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (90 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 34 | 37.8% | 50.0% |
| e6 | 23 | 25.6% | 52.2% |
| f5 | 11 | 12.2% | 40.9% |
| g6 | 9 | 10.0% | 44.4% |
| d5 | 8 | 8.9% | 62.5% |
| c5 | 4 | 4.4% | 37.5% |
David Southam's chess games
All 466 games by David Southam 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: 178 wins, 131 draws, 157 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D36 | Indian Defense | 21 | 10/4/7 | 47.6% |
| A70 | Benoni Defense | 19 | 6/3/10 | 31.6% |
| E92 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 16 | 5/3/8 | 31.3% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 14 | 6/6/2 | 42.9% |
| E46 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 13 | 6/2/5 | 46.2% |
| D18 | Slav Defense | 13 | 3/6/4 | 23.1% |
| E05 | Catalan | 12 | 6/5/1 | 50.0% |
| A42 | Modern Defense | 8 | 5/2/1 | 62.5% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 8 | 2/3/3 | 25.0% |
| A81 | Dutch Defense | 7 | 5/1/1 | 71.4% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 24 | 13/4/7 | 54.2% |
| A42 | Modern Defense | 19 | 5/6/8 | 26.3% |
| B46 | Sicilian | 14 | 4/6/4 | 28.6% |
| A80 | Horwitz Defense | 13 | 8/3/2 | 61.5% |
| A90 | Dutch Defense | 11 | 3/3/5 | 27.3% |
| E92 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 10 | 2/3/5 | 20.0% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 10 | 4/4/2 | 40.0% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 9 | 5/2/2 | 55.6% |
| C00 | French Defense | 9 | 5/3/1 | 55.6% |
| C06 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 9 | 3/4/2 | 33.3% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1992 | Emir Dizdarevic | 2,505 | Toronto Open 3 | E91 |
| Jan 1990 | H James Plaskett | 2,470 | 14th Lloyds Bank Open | E41 |
| Jan 1990 | Sandor Biro | 2,435 | Kecskemet Open 1 | C26 |
| Jan 1989 | Leon Piasetski | 2,400 | ch-CAN & zonal | A55 |
| Jan 1992 | Raymond Stone | 2,355 | 20th World Open | A90 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | 2016 | 36 | 13 | 2,177 |
| ch-Scarborough CC | 2019 | 27 | 17 | 2,107 |
| Toronto Open | 1998 | 19 | 9 | 2,254 |
| North Bay Open | 1998 | 18 | 8 | 2,131 |
| Scarborough CC Falling Leaves | 2018 | 17 | 9 | 2,084 |
| ch-CAN & zonal | 1989 | 15 | 4.5 | 2,194 |
| Scarborough CC Howard Ridout | 2018 | 13 | 9 | 2,170 |
| Toronto2 | 1990 | 11 | 6 | 2,332 |
Interactive opening tree from all 466 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find David Southam's chess games?
466 games by David Southam, 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 David Southam has played.
What does David Southam play on the first move as White?
Across 231 games with White in our database, David Southam opens with 1.d4 (75% of games), 1.e4 (16% of games), 1.Nf3 (3% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, David Southam answers 1...e6 (51% of games), 1...c5 (23% of games), 1...c6 (11% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (38% of games), 1...e6 (26% of games), 1...f5 (12% of games).
What openings does David Southam play as White?
As White, David Southam's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (21 games, 47.6% win rate); Benoni Defense (19 games, 31.6% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (16 games, 31.3% win rate). The full breakdown of 231 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does David Southam play as Black?
As Black, David Southam most often plays: French: Winawer Variation (24 games, 54.2% win rate); Modern Defense (19 games, 26.3% win rate); Sicilian (14 games, 28.6% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 235 games.
What is David Southam's FIDE rating?
David Southam is currently rated 1,796 in classical chess and 1,903 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,170 (Apr 2003).
How many games has David Southam played?
Our database contains 466 games by David Southam, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 178 wins, 131 draws, 157 losses (38.2% win rate).
How do I prepare against David Southam?
466 games by David Southam 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.