Prepare against John M Emms
GM · United Kingdom · World #1,288 classical · FIDE ID 400254
Our database contains 1,392 games by John M Emms, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find John M Emms's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout John M Emms 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 | 2,427 | 2,520 | Oct 2003 |
| Rapid | 2,385 | 2,467 | Dec 2015 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,392 | 564 | 578 | 250 | 40.5% |
| As White | 711 | 332 | 287 | 92 | 46.7% |
| As Black | 681 | 232 | 291 | 158 | 34.1% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of John M Emms's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from John M Emms's side.
First moves as White (711 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 670 | 94.2% | 67.2% |
| Nf3 | 19 | 2.7% | 52.6% |
| d4 | 17 | 2.4% | 61.8% |
| c4 | 5 | 0.7% | 90.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 94% of White games, 67.2% score
- …c5 (37% of these games) — Emms usually continues Nf3 (66.7% score)
- …e5 (24% of these games) — Emms usually continues Nf3 (66.3% score)
- …e6 (16% of these games) — Emms usually continues d4 (72.9% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 3% of White games, 52.6% score
- …Nf6 (58% of these games) — Emms usually continues c4 (56.3% score)
- …d5 (26% of these games) — Emms usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- …c5 (16% of these games) — Emms usually continues c4 (16.7% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (289 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 160 | 55.4% | 62.2% |
| e5 | 111 | 38.4% | 52.3% |
| d6 | 5 | 1.7% | 30.0% |
| c6 | 4 | 1.4% | 50.0% |
| e6 | 3 | 1.0% | 33.3% |
| d5 | 2 | 0.7% | 75.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (267 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 241 | 90.3% | 54.8% |
| d5 | 14 | 5.2% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 6 | 2.2% | 66.7% |
| c5 | 4 | 1.5% | 50.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.4% | 0.0% |
| e6 | 1 | 0.4% | 50.0% |
John M Emms's chess games
All 1,392 games by John M Emms 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: 564 wins, 578 draws, 250 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C06 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 108 | 58/42/8 | 53.7% |
| B22 | Sicilian | 96 | 40/40/16 | 41.7% |
| C90 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 57 | 25/25/7 | 43.9% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 51 | 20/26/5 | 39.2% |
| B87 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 32 | 16/11/5 | 50.0% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 27 | 12/10/5 | 44.4% |
| B08 | Pirc Defense | 23 | 9/9/5 | 39.1% |
| B35 | Sicilian: Closed | 18 | 13/4/1 | 72.2% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 17 | 3/14/0 | 17.6% |
| B01 | Scandinavian Defense: Main Line | 15 | 9/5/1 | 60.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B40 | Sicilian | 84 | 32/29/23 | 38.1% |
| A70 | Benoni Defense | 49 | 15/19/15 | 30.6% |
| A36 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 49 | 14/31/4 | 28.6% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 43 | 16/20/7 | 37.2% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 39 | 11/18/10 | 28.2% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 33 | 13/11/9 | 39.4% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 31 | 7/17/7 | 22.6% |
| C88 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 30 | 14/8/8 | 46.7% |
| A33 | English Opening | 28 | 7/13/8 | 25.0% |
| E54 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 26 | 10/11/5 | 38.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2000 | Ivan Sokolov | 2,637 | 75th Hastings Open | C24 |
| Jan 1999 | Sergei Shipov | 2,635 | Hastings 9899 | B88 |
| Jan 1993 | Simen Agdestein | 2,630 | 09th Cappelle Open | A33 |
| Jan 1993 | Julian M Hodgson | 2,625 | ch-BCF | B56 |
| Jan 1995 | Rustem Dautov | 2,625 | BL2-West 9495 | C76 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isle of Man Open | 1997 | 35 | 22 | 2,561 |
| WchT Seniors 50 | 2024 | 35 | 22 | 2,450 |
| ch-BCF | 1993 | 33 | 17 | 2,393 |
| Jack Speigel Memorial | 2009 | 28 | 15 | 2,494 |
| Troll Masters | 1996 | 27 | 17 | 2,468 |
| chT-EU Seniors 50 | 2024 | 22 | 15.5 | 2,370 |
| Arnold Cup | 1993 | 18 | 10 | 2,466 |
| Benidorm Open | 1993 | 15 | 5.5 | 2,268 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Mark L Hebden (17 games) · Peter K Wells (16 games) · Keith C Arkell (13 games) · Jon S Speelman (11 games) · Andrew J Ledger (11 games) · Bogdan Lalic (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,392 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find John M Emms's chess games?
1,392 games by John M Emms, 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 John M Emms has played.
What does John M Emms play on the first move as White?
Across 711 games with White in our database, John M Emms opens with 1.e4 (94% of games), 1.Nf3 (3% of games), 1.d4 (2% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, John M Emms answers 1...c5 (55% of games), 1...e5 (38% of games), 1...d6 (2% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (90% of games), 1...d5 (5% of games), 1...g6 (2% of games).
What openings does John M Emms play as White?
As White, John M Emms's most-played openings in our database are: French: Tarrasch Variation (108 games, 53.7% win rate); Sicilian (96 games, 41.7% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (57 games, 43.9% win rate). The full breakdown of 711 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does John M Emms play as Black?
As Black, John M Emms most often plays: Sicilian (84 games, 38.1% win rate); Benoni Defense (49 games, 30.6% win rate); English Opening: Symmetrical (49 games, 28.6% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 681 games.
What is John M Emms's FIDE rating?
John M Emms is currently rated 2,427 in classical chess, 2,385 in rapid. Peak classical rating: 2,520 (Oct 2003).
How many games has John M Emms played?
Our database contains 1,392 games by John M Emms, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 564 wins, 578 draws, 250 losses (40.5% win rate).
How do I prepare against John M Emms?
1,392 games by John M Emms 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.