Prepare against James Canty
FM · United States · World #6,877 classical · FIDE ID 2055945
Our database contains 330 games by James Canty, covering Nov 2014 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find James Canty's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout James Canty 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 | 2,227 | 2,353 | Mar 2016 |
| Blitz | 2,161 | 2,205 | Dec 2024 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 330 | 113 | 86 | 131 | 34.2% |
| As White | 163 | 60 | 43 | 60 | 36.8% |
| As Black | 167 | 53 | 43 | 71 | 31.7% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of James Canty's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from James Canty's side.
First moves as White (163 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 106 | 65.0% | 48.1% |
| d4 | 50 | 30.7% | 54.0% |
| Nf3 | 5 | 3.1% | 40.0% |
| c4 | 2 | 1.2% | 75.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 65% of White games, 48.1% score
- …c5 (45% of these games) — Canty usually continues c3 (40.9% score)
- …e5 (14% of these games) — Canty usually continues Nf3 (28.6% score)
- …c6 (13% of these games) — Canty usually continues d4 (72.7% score)
- 1.d4 — 31% of White games, 54.0% score
- …Nf6 (50% of these games) — Canty usually continues Nc3 (60.4% score)
- …d5 (34% of these games) — Canty usually continues Nc3 (50.0% score)
- …e6 (10% of these games) — Canty usually continues Nc3 (70.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (82 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 71 | 86.6% | 47.2% |
| e6 | 5 | 6.1% | 40.0% |
| e5 | 2 | 2.4% | 25.0% |
| c6 | 1 | 1.2% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 1.2% | 0.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 1.2% | 0.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (65 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 55 | 84.6% | 45.5% |
| d5 | 8 | 12.3% | 50.0% |
| e6 | 2 | 3.1% | 25.0% |
James Canty's chess games
All 330 games by James Canty in the Chess.ceo database (Nov 2014 - 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: 113 wins, 86 draws, 131 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D00 | Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation | 35 | 14/10/11 | 40.0% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 22 | 6/6/10 | 27.3% |
| C56 | Italian Game | 12 | 2/3/7 | 16.7% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 11 | 7/2/2 | 63.6% |
| B94 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 7 | 2/2/3 | 28.6% |
| A06 | Réti Opening | 5 | 1/2/2 | 20.0% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Smith-Morra Gambit | 5 | 2/1/2 | 40.0% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 5 | 1/2/2 | 20.0% |
| B32 | Sicilian | 5 | 2/3/0 | 40.0% |
| B48 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 5 | 1/1/3 | 20.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B33 | Sicilian | 17 | 4/3/10 | 23.5% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 14 | 4/4/6 | 28.6% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 14 | 7/1/6 | 50.0% |
| A45 | Trompowsky Attack | 13 | 5/2/6 | 38.5% |
| B35 | Sicilian: Accelerated Dragon | 9 | 1/3/5 | 11.1% |
| B27 | Sicilian: Closed | 8 | 4/1/3 | 50.0% |
| B27 | Sicilian: Hyperaccelerated Dragon | 8 | 5/0/3 | 62.5% |
| E63 | King's Indian Defense | 8 | 2/2/4 | 25.0% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 8 | 2/4/2 | 25.0% |
| D00 | Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation | 5 | 3/1/1 | 60.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2017 | Andrey Rychagov | 2,556 | Titled Tue | A56 |
| Nov 2022 | Ehsan Ghaem Maghami | 2,511 | US Masters Open | B81 |
| Jun 2022 | Polina Shuvalova | 2,493 | I'M Not A GM Speed Chess | D00 |
| Jan 2016 | Nikita Matinian | 2,476 | Titled Tue | B06 |
| Jan 2022 | Mark Paragua | 2,467 | New York Winter IM-D | A49 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I'M Not A GM Speed Chess | 2022 | 99 | 49 | 2,404 |
| Titled Tuesday | 2018 | 27 | 12.5 | 2,305 |
| Charlotte CCCSA Spring IM-C | 2022 | 18 | 10.5 | 2,320 |
| US Masters Open | 2023 | 18 | 7.5 | 2,234 |
| PRO League Stage | 2019 | 13 | 4.5 | 2,156 |
| Charlotte CCCSA Labor Day IM C | 2021 | 9 | 4 | 2,231 |
| Charlotte CCCSA Spring IM | 2021 | 9 | 3 | 2,167 |
| New York Spring IM-B | 2022 | 9 | 2.5 | 2,121 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Polina Shuvalova (23 games) · Kostya Kavutskiy (21 games) · Levy Rozman (16 games) · Eric Rosen (13 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 330 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find James Canty's chess games?
330 games by James Canty, from Nov 2014 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 James Canty has played.
What does James Canty play on the first move as White?
Across 163 games with White in our database, James Canty opens with 1.e4 (65% of games), 1.d4 (31% of games), 1.Nf3 (3% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, James Canty answers 1...c5 (87% of games), 1...e6 (6% of games), 1...e5 (2% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (85% of games), 1...d5 (12% of games), 1...e6 (3% of games).
What openings does James Canty play as White?
As White, James Canty's most-played openings in our database are: Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation (35 games, 40.0% win rate); Sicilian: Alapin (22 games, 27.3% win rate); Italian Game (12 games, 16.7% win rate). The full breakdown of 163 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does James Canty play as Black?
As Black, James Canty most often plays: Sicilian (17 games, 23.5% win rate); Indian Defense (14 games, 28.6% win rate); Sicilian: Alapin (14 games, 50.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 167 games.
What is James Canty's FIDE rating?
James Canty is currently rated 2,227 in classical chess and 2,161 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,353 (Mar 2016).
How many games has James Canty played?
Our database contains 330 games by James Canty, covering Nov 2014 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 113 wins, 86 draws, 131 losses (34.2% win rate).
How do I prepare against James Canty?
330 games by James Canty 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.