Prepare against Donald Heron
United Kingdom · World #76,450 classical · FIDE ID 416282
When preparing against Donald Heron, expect 1.d4 in 53% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e6 (95% of games); against 1.d4, 1...e6 (100%).
Our database contains 85 games by Donald Heron, covering May 2015 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Donald Heron's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Donald Heron 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 | 1,800 | 1,905 | Apr 2024 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 85 | 25 | 21 | 39 | 29.4% |
| As White | 43 | 15 | 10 | 18 | 34.9% |
| As Black | 42 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 23.8% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Donald Heron's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Donald Heron's side.
First moves as White (43 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 23 | 53.5% | 34.8% |
| c4 | 20 | 46.5% | 60.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 53% of White games, 34.8% score
- …Nf6 (70% of these games) — Heron usually continues c4 (37.5% score)
- …d5 (17% of these games) — Heron usually continues Nf3 (33.3% score)
- …e6 (4% of these games) — Heron usually continues Nf3 (50.0% score)
- 1.c4 — 47% of White games, 60.0% score
- …Nf6 (25% of these games) — Heron usually continues g3 (60.0% score)
- …f5 (20% of these games) — Heron usually continues g3 (50.0% score)
- …e5 (20% of these games) — Heron usually continues g3 (37.5% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (22 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 21 | 95.5% | 35.7% |
| e5 | 1 | 4.5% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (14 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 14 | 100.0% | 46.4% |
Donald Heron's chess games
All 85 games by Donald Heron in the Chess.ceo database (May 2015 - 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: 25 wins, 21 draws, 39 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A36 | English Opening | 7 | 4/2/1 | 57.1% |
| A26 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 5 | 2/1/2 | 40.0% |
| D03 | Torre Attack | 4 | 0/1/3 | 0.0% |
| A10 | English Opening: Dutch Defense | 4 | 2/0/2 | 50.0% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 3 | 1/2/0 | 33.3% |
| A56 | Benoni Defense | 3 | 0/0/3 | 0.0% |
| A36 | Modern Defense | 2 | 0/2/0 | 0.0% |
| E73 | King's Indian Defense: Averbakh System | 2 | 2/0/0 | 100.0% |
| E41 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| D31 | Queen's Pawn Game | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A90 | Horwitz Defense | 12 | 4/5/3 | 33.3% |
| C19 | French: Winawer Variation | 7 | 2/0/5 | 28.6% |
| C10 | French Defense | 6 | 1/3/2 | 16.7% |
| A10 | English Opening | 3 | 0/1/2 | 0.0% |
| C05 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 3 | 1/1/1 | 33.3% |
| A13 | English Opening: Neo-Catalan | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| C00 | King's Indian Attack | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| A85 | Semi-Slav Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| C29 | Vienna Game | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2015 | Jim O'Neil | 1,967 | 122nd ch-SCO | A36 |
| Jul 2024 | Maksymilian Mlynek | 1,789 | Scottish Open | D00 |
| Jul 2011 | Siegrun Macgilchrist | 1,776 | ch-SCO Seniors | E07 |
| Jul 2025 | Alex Keenan | 1,767 | Scottish Int Open | C00 |
| May 2026 | A Keith Aitchison | 1,739 | Perth Congress 2026 | Major | A45 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 122nd ch-SCO | 2015 | 9 | 5.5 | 2,144 |
| Glenrothes Open | 2001 | 8 | 2.5 | 2,111 |
| Scottish Open | 2024 | 7 | 3 | 1,780 |
| ch-SCO Seniors | 2011 | 7 | 5.5 | 2,058 |
| Scottish Int Open | 2025 | 7 | 2.5 | 1,739 |
| 123rd ch-SCO | 2016 | 7 | 2 | 1,645 |
| Perth Congress 2026 | Major | 2026 | 6 | 3 | 1,707 |
| ch-Commonwealth | 2014 | 6 | 1.5 | 1,759 |
Interactive opening tree from all 85 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Donald Heron's chess games?
85 games by Donald Heron, from May 2015 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 Donald Heron has played.
What does Donald Heron play on the first move as White?
Across 43 games with White in our database, Donald Heron opens with 1.d4 (53% of games), 1.c4 (47% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Donald Heron answers 1...e6 (95% of games), 1...e5 (5% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...e6 (100% of games).
What openings does Donald Heron play as White?
As White, Donald Heron's most-played openings in our database are: English Opening (7 games, 57.1% win rate); English Opening: Reverse Sicilian (5 games, 40.0% win rate); Torre Attack (4 games, 0.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 43 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Donald Heron play as Black?
As Black, Donald Heron most often plays: Horwitz Defense (12 games, 33.3% win rate); French: Winawer Variation (7 games, 28.6% win rate); French Defense (6 games, 16.7% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 42 games.
What is Donald Heron's FIDE rating?
Donald Heron is currently rated 1,800 in classical chess. Peak classical rating: 1,905 (Apr 2024).
How many games has Donald Heron played?
Our database contains 85 games by Donald Heron, covering May 2015 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 25 wins, 21 draws, 39 losses (29.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against Donald Heron?
85 games by Donald Heron 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.