Prepare against James Cole
United Kingdom · World #28,073 classical · FIDE ID 431818
Our database contains 174 games by James Cole, covering Oct 2014 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find James Cole's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout James Cole 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 | 1,997 | 1,998 | Oct 2025 |
| Rapid | 1,935 | 1,935 | Jul 2026 |
| Blitz | 1,969 | 1,972 | Feb 2020 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 174 | 57 | 60 | 57 | 32.8% |
| As White | 88 | 32 | 27 | 29 | 36.4% |
| As Black | 86 | 25 | 33 | 28 | 29.1% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of James Cole's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from James Cole's side.
First moves as White (88 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 54 | 61.4% | 50.9% |
| e4 | 33 | 37.5% | 53.0% |
| Nf3 | 1 | 1.1% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 61% of White games, 50.9% score
- …Nf6 (48% of these games) — Cole usually continues c4 (68.4% score)
- …d5 (30% of these games) — Cole usually continues c4 (33.3% score)
- …e6 (7% of these games) — Cole usually continues Nf3 (25.0% score)
- 1.e4 — 38% of White games, 53.0% score
- …c5 (42% of these games) — Cole usually continues Nf3 (57.1% score)
- …e5 (36% of these games) — Cole usually continues Nf3 (45.8% score)
- …d6 (6% of these games) — Cole usually continues d4 (25.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (41 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c6 | 29 | 70.7% | 56.9% |
| c5 | 7 | 17.1% | 50.0% |
| d6 | 5 | 12.2% | 60.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (31 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 30 | 96.8% | 36.7% |
| d5 | 1 | 3.2% | 100.0% |
James Cole's chess games
All 174 games by James Cole in the Chess.ceo database (Oct 2014 - 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: 57 wins, 60 draws, 57 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E11 | Catalan | 20 | 10/7/3 | 50.0% |
| D05 | Indian Defense | 9 | 2/4/3 | 22.2% |
| B53 | Sicilian | 6 | 0/5/1 | 0.0% |
| C77 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 5 | 0/3/2 | 0.0% |
| E62 | King's Indian Defense | 5 | 3/1/1 | 60.0% |
| A90 | Horwitz Defense | 3 | 0/1/2 | 0.0% |
| A87 | Dutch Defense | 3 | 1/0/2 | 33.3% |
| A58 | Benoni Defense | 3 | 3/0/0 | 100.0% |
| A40 | Modern Defense | 3 | 0/1/2 | 0.0% |
| C86 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 3 | 2/0/1 | 66.7% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 10 | 3/4/3 | 30.0% |
| D87 | Grünfeld Defense | 10 | 4/1/5 | 40.0% |
| A16 | Indian Defense | 5 | 0/3/2 | 0.0% |
| B11 | Caro-Kann: Two Knights Variation | 5 | 1/2/2 | 20.0% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 4 | 1/3/0 | 25.0% |
| B10 | Caro-Kann | 4 | 3/1/0 | 75.0% |
| B19 | Caro-Kann: Classical | 4 | 1/3/0 | 25.0% |
| A34 | English Opening | 4 | 2/1/1 | 50.0% |
| C41 | Pirc Defense: Lion System | 4 | 1/2/1 | 25.0% |
| A34 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 3 | 1/1/1 | 33.3% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2016 | Robert S Eames | 2,187 | 8th London Classic Open | B07 |
| Dec 2016 | Joel Bird | 2,171 | 8th London Classic Open | C86 |
| May 2025 | Daniel Udovenko | 2,160 | 3rd Cambridge Int Open | E62 |
| Dec 2016 | Willi Gross | 2,144 | 8th London Classic Open | B31 |
| Sep 2020 | Mikhail Sedykh | 2,119 | 1st 4NCL Autumn Online Open | D87 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4NCL Div 2 2024-25 | 2025 | 11 | 2 | 1,914 |
| London Classic Open | 2017 | 9 | 3.5 | 1,823 |
| 104th ch-GBR | 2017 | 9 | 2.5 | 1,900 |
| 3rd Cambridge Int Open | 2025 | 9 | 5 | 2,070 |
| 8th London Classic Open | 2016 | 9 | 5 | 2,216 |
| 2nd Cambridge Open | 2024 | 9 | 4 | 1,932 |
| 10th London Classic Open | 2018 | 8 | 3 | 1,913 |
| 1st 4NCL Autumn Online Open | 2020 | 7 | 4 | 2,059 |
Interactive opening tree from all 174 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find James Cole's chess games?
174 games by James Cole, from Oct 2014 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 James Cole has played.
What does James Cole play on the first move as White?
Across 88 games with White in our database, James Cole opens with 1.d4 (61% of games), 1.e4 (38% of games), 1.Nf3 (1% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, James Cole answers 1...c6 (71% of games), 1...c5 (17% of games), 1...d6 (12% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (97% of games), 1...d5 (3% of games).
What openings does James Cole play as White?
As White, James Cole's most-played openings in our database are: Catalan (20 games, 50.0% win rate); Indian Defense (9 games, 22.2% win rate); Sicilian (6 games, 0.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 88 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does James Cole play as Black?
As Black, James Cole most often plays: Caro-Kann: Advance Variation (10 games, 30.0% win rate); Grünfeld Defense (10 games, 40.0% win rate); Indian Defense (5 games, 0.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 86 games.
What is James Cole's FIDE rating?
James Cole is currently rated 1,997 in classical chess, 1,935 in rapid and 1,969 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 1,998 (Oct 2025).
How many games has James Cole played?
Our database contains 174 games by James Cole, covering Oct 2014 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 57 wins, 60 draws, 57 losses (32.8% win rate).
How do I prepare against James Cole?
174 games by James Cole 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.