Prepare against Iain Gourlay
FM · United Kingdom · World #4,911 classical · FIDE ID 2401533
Our database contains 519 games by Iain Gourlay, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Iain Gourlay's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Iain Gourlay 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 | 2,276 | 2,412 | Feb 2016 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 519 | 193 | 189 | 137 | 37.2% |
| As White | 271 | 118 | 86 | 67 | 43.5% |
| As Black | 248 | 75 | 103 | 70 | 30.2% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Iain Gourlay's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Iain Gourlay's side.
First moves as White (271 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf3 | 170 | 62.7% | 62.4% |
| c4 | 74 | 27.3% | 56.1% |
| d4 | 16 | 5.9% | 53.1% |
| e4 | 11 | 4.1% | 45.5% |
Main lines as White
- 1.Nf3 — 63% of White games, 62.4% score
- …Nf6 (38% of these games) — Gourlay usually continues g3 (63.2% score)
- …d5 (31% of these games) — Gourlay usually continues g3 (56.7% score)
- …d6 (9% of these games) — Gourlay usually continues g3 (75.0% score)
- 1.c4 — 27% of White games, 56.1% score
- …e6 (22% of these games) — Gourlay usually continues g3 (43.3% score)
- …e5 (20% of these games) — Gourlay usually continues g3 (43.3% score)
- …Nf6 (19% of these games) — Gourlay usually continues g3 (54.2% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (96 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 65 | 67.7% | 54.6% |
| e5 | 15 | 15.6% | 43.3% |
| c6 | 13 | 13.5% | 57.7% |
| e6 | 2 | 2.1% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 1.0% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (93 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 52 | 55.9% | 51.0% |
| Nf6 | 40 | 43.0% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 1.1% | 50.0% |
Iain Gourlay's chess games
All 519 games by Iain Gourlay 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: 193 wins, 189 draws, 137 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A07 | Réti Opening | 75 | 37/25/13 | 49.3% |
| A13 | English Opening | 31 | 17/6/8 | 54.8% |
| A14 | English Opening: Neo-Catalan | 23 | 11/6/6 | 47.8% |
| A37 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 23 | 11/8/4 | 47.8% |
| A26 | Réti Opening: Symmetrical Defense | 21 | 8/9/4 | 38.1% |
| A20 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 19 | 4/9/6 | 21.1% |
| A16 | Modern Defense | 13 | 6/5/2 | 46.2% |
| A11 | English Opening: Slav Setup | 10 | 5/4/1 | 50.0% |
| A07 | Réti Opening: Keres Variation | 7 | 1/3/3 | 14.3% |
| A05 | Réti Opening: Spassky Variation | 7 | 3/1/3 | 42.9% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D15 | Slav Defense | 30 | 10/11/9 | 33.3% |
| B22 | Sicilian | 27 | 8/14/5 | 29.6% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 24 | 6/10/8 | 25.0% |
| A06 | Réti Opening | 16 | 7/5/4 | 43.8% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 13 | 5/3/5 | 38.5% |
| B48 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 12 | 5/4/3 | 41.7% |
| A13 | English Opening | 10 | 2/5/3 | 20.0% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 9 | 6/1/2 | 66.7% |
| A11 | English Opening: Slav Setup | 8 | 1/2/5 | 12.5% |
| A34 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 7 | 0/5/2 | 0.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | Eduardas Rozentalis | 2,549 | Jersey Open | D77 |
| May 2012 | Stuart C Conquest | 2,509 | BCF-chTc 1112 (4NCL) | A21 |
| Feb 2024 | Ameet K Ghasi | 2,509 | 2nd Cambridge Open | A49 |
| Mar 2005 | Alexander Cherniaev | 2,509 | Coventry Open | A26 |
| Mar 2008 | Yuri Boidman | 2,446 | 12th Neckar Open A | A11 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-SCO | 2009 | 35 | 20 | 2,305 |
| Newcastle Northumbria Masters | 2022 | 17 | 10.5 | 2,239 |
| ch-BCF | 2003 | 11 | 5.5 | 2,194 |
| chT2-BCF 0405 (4NCL) | 2005 | 10 | 8.5 | 2,446 |
| 4NCL 2024-25 | 2025 | 10 | 2.5 | 2,164 |
| Olympiad-44 | 2022 | 10 | 4.5 | 2,173 |
| 4NCL Div 2 2025-26 | 2026 | 9 | 5.5 | 2,249 |
| London Classic Open | 2017 | 9 | 5.5 | 2,307 |
Interactive opening tree from all 519 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Iain Gourlay's chess games?
519 games by Iain Gourlay, 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 Iain Gourlay has played.
What does Iain Gourlay play on the first move as White?
Across 271 games with White in our database, Iain Gourlay opens with 1.Nf3 (63% of games), 1.c4 (27% of games), 1.d4 (6% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Iain Gourlay answers 1...c5 (68% of games), 1...e5 (16% of games), 1...c6 (14% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (56% of games), 1...Nf6 (43% of games), 1...g6 (1% of games).
What openings does Iain Gourlay play as White?
As White, Iain Gourlay's most-played openings in our database are: Réti Opening (75 games, 49.3% win rate); English Opening (31 games, 54.8% win rate); English Opening: Neo-Catalan (23 games, 47.8% win rate). The full breakdown of 271 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Iain Gourlay play as Black?
As Black, Iain Gourlay most often plays: Slav Defense (30 games, 33.3% win rate); Sicilian (27 games, 29.6% win rate); Indian Defense (24 games, 25.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 248 games.
What is Iain Gourlay's FIDE rating?
Iain Gourlay is currently rated 2,276 in classical chess. Peak classical rating: 2,412 (Feb 2016).
How many games has Iain Gourlay played?
Our database contains 519 games by Iain Gourlay, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 193 wins, 189 draws, 137 losses (37.2% win rate).
How do I prepare against Iain Gourlay?
519 games by Iain Gourlay 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.