Prepare against Derek Zhang
CM · United States · World #8,069 classical · FIDE ID 2087871
When preparing against Derek Zhang, expect 1.Nf3 in 84% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e6 (93% of games); against 1.d4, 1...d6 (75%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: English Opening as White, 54.2% over 24 games.
Our database contains 178 games by Derek Zhang, covering Dec 2014 to Oct 2026. Below you'll find Derek Zhang's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Derek Zhang 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 | 2,204 | 2,216 | Feb 2020 |
| Blitz | 2,087 | 2,147 | Aug 2019 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 178 | 73 | 16 | 89 | 41.0% |
| As White | 94 | 45 | 10 | 39 | 47.9% |
| As Black | 84 | 28 | 6 | 50 | 33.3% |
FIDE rated record
From FIDE's official rated-game ledger (2012-2025): 209 rated games against 166 different opponents, across 36 events in 2 countries. These counts cover FIDE-rated play only, so they differ from the database totals above.
By time control
| Format | Games | W | D | L | Win rate | Avg opp | Perf | Unbeaten |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classical | 200 | 89 | 37 | 74 | 44.5% | 2,086 | 2,052 | 8 |
| Blitz | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 33.3% | 1,848 | 1,803 | 4 |
Against the field
| Opposition | Games | W | D | L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Against higher-rated | 81 | 21 | 15 | 45 | 25.9% |
| Against lower-rated | 64 | 37 | 9 | 18 | 57.8% |
Wins over titled players: 1 vs GM · 5 vs IM · 14 vs FM · 2 vs CM · 1 vs WGM · 3 vs WIM · 3 vs WFM.
Tournament wins
3 tournament wins from 35 events, 1 of them outright.
Year by year
| Year | Games | W | D | L | Avg opp | Perf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2,090 | 2,490 |
| 2023 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2,036 | 2,080 |
| 2020 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2,075 | 2,075 |
| 2019 | 41 | 19 | 7 | 15 | 2,065 | 2,104 |
| 2018 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2,148 | 2,215 |
| 2017 | 31 | 16 | 3 | 12 | 2,077 | 2,045 |
| 2016 | 37 | 8 | 8 | 21 | 2,127 | 1,957 |
| 2015 | 27 | 16 | 5 | 6 | 2,041 | 2,094 |
| 2014 | 15 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 2,020 | 1,970 |
| 2013 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1,990 | 1,762 |
| 2012 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1,918 | 1,518 |
Where Derek Zhang has played
United States (34) · Bolivia (2)
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Derek Zhang's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Derek Zhang's side.
First moves as White (93 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf3 | 78 | 83.9% | 53.2% |
| f4 | 8 | 8.6% | 50.0% |
| e4 | 6 | 6.5% | 58.3% |
| d4 | 1 | 1.1% | 0.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.Nf3 — 84% of White games, 53.2% score
- …d5 (36% of these games) — Zhang usually continues c4 (60.7% score)
- …Nf6 (31% of these games) — Zhang usually continues c4 (63.0% score)
- …c5 (13% of these games) — Zhang usually continues c4 (30.0% score)
- 1.f4 — 9% of White games, 50.0% score
- …d5 (50% of these games) — Zhang usually continues Nf3 (62.5% score)
- …e5 (13% of these games) — Zhang usually continues fxe5 (100.0% score)
- …d6 (13% of these games) — Zhang usually continues Nf3 (0.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (30 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 28 | 93.3% | 32.1% |
| d6 | 1 | 3.3% | 100.0% |
| e5 | 1 | 3.3% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (28 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d6 | 21 | 75.0% | 38.1% |
| e6 | 7 | 25.0% | 57.1% |
Derek Zhang's chess games
All 178 games by Derek Zhang in the Chess.ceo database (Dec 2014 - Oct 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: 73 wins, 16 draws, 89 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A13 | English Opening | 24 | 13/2/9 | 54.2% |
| A09 | Réti Opening | 14 | 5/3/6 | 35.7% |
| E90 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 11 | 5/2/4 | 45.5% |
| A35 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 10 | 3/0/7 | 30.0% |
| A03 | Bird's opening | 8 | 3/2/3 | 37.5% |
| B09 | Modern Defense | 8 | 3/0/5 | 37.5% |
| A11 | English Opening: Slav Setup | 7 | 6/0/1 | 85.7% |
| C45 | Scotch Game | 2 | 2/0/0 | 100.0% |
| E11 | Queen's Indian Defense | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| B86 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C15 | French: Winawer Variation | 14 | 4/1/9 | 28.6% |
| A41 | Rat Defense | 11 | 2/0/9 | 18.2% |
| A21 | Réti Opening | 11 | 1/2/8 | 9.1% |
| C41 | Pirc Defense | 8 | 5/0/3 | 62.5% |
| A21 | English Opening | 6 | 3/0/3 | 50.0% |
| A85 | Horwitz Defense | 6 | 3/0/3 | 50.0% |
| C00 | French Defense | 4 | 2/0/2 | 50.0% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 4 | 1/1/2 | 25.0% |
| A21 | Queen's Pawn Game | 4 | 2/0/2 | 50.0% |
| C06 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 4 | 1/0/3 | 25.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2023 | Benjamin Bok | 2,615 | Titled Tue Late | A11 |
| Mar 2023 | Nitzan Steinberg | 2,546 | Titled Tue Late | E90 |
| Mar 2023 | Rithvik R Raja | 2,472 | Titled Tue Late | A09 |
| Sep 2020 | David Brodsky | 2,455 | US Collegiate Blitz | C06 |
| May 2022 | Bojan Maksimovic | 2,455 | Titled Tue Late | C41 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 122 | 54 | 2,275 |
| ch-Washington State | 2020 | 16 | 4.5 | 1,987 |
| US Collegiate Blitz | 2020 | 13 | 6.5 | 2,416 |
| ch-Pan American U20 | 2019 | 9 | 4.5 | 2,130 |
| ch-Washington State Premier | 2015 | 9 | 6.5 | 2,235 |
| Washington Open | 2015 | 4 | 2.5 | 2,183 |
| Seattle Classic Open | 2017 | 3 | 0.5 | 1,937 |
| Washington Challenger's Cup | 2014 | 1 | 1 | – |
Interactive opening tree from all 178 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Derek Zhang's chess games?
178 games by Derek Zhang, from Dec 2014 to Oct 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 Derek Zhang has played.
What does Derek Zhang play on the first move as White?
Across 93 games with White in our database, Derek Zhang opens with 1.Nf3 (84% of games), 1.f4 (9% of games), 1.e4 (6% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Derek Zhang answers 1...e6 (93% of games), 1...d6 (3% of games), 1...e5 (3% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d6 (75% of games), 1...e6 (25% of games).
What openings does Derek Zhang play as White?
As White, Derek Zhang's most-played openings in our database are: English Opening (24 games, 54.2% win rate); Réti Opening (14 games, 35.7% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (11 games, 45.5% win rate). The full breakdown of 94 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Derek Zhang play as Black?
As Black, Derek Zhang most often plays: French: Winawer Variation (14 games, 28.6% win rate); Rat Defense (11 games, 18.2% win rate); Réti Opening (11 games, 9.1% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 84 games.
What is Derek Zhang's FIDE rating?
Derek Zhang is currently rated 2,204 in classical chess and 2,087 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,216 (Feb 2020).
How many games has Derek Zhang played?
Our database contains 178 games by Derek Zhang, covering Dec 2014 to Oct 2026. Overall record: 73 wins, 16 draws, 89 losses (41.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against Derek Zhang?
178 games by Derek Zhang 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.