Prepare against James Golding
England · World #10,335 classical · FIDE ID 427250
When preparing against James Golding, expect 1.d4 in 88% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (95% of games); against 1.d4, 1...d5 (92%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense as Black, 21.7% over 23 games.
Our database contains 280 games by James Golding, covering May 2013 to Nov 2026. Below you'll find James Golding's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout James Golding 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 | 2,165 | 2,203 | Jan 2025 |
| Rapid | 2,022 | 2,022 | Nov 2026 |
| Blitz | 2,086 | 2,086 | Nov 2026 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 280 | 103 | 64 | 113 | 36.8% |
| As White | 137 | 57 | 29 | 51 | 41.6% |
| As Black | 143 | 46 | 35 | 62 | 32.2% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of James Golding's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from James Golding's side.
First moves as White (137 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 121 | 88.3% | 57.0% |
| e4 | 14 | 10.2% | 10.7% |
| f4 | 1 | 0.7% | 100.0% |
| Nc3 | 1 | 0.7% | 0.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 88% of White games, 57.0% score
- …Nf6 (61% of these games) — Golding usually continues c4 (59.7% score)
- …d5 (19% of these games) — Golding usually continues c4 (59.1% score)
- …e6 (11% of these games) — Golding usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- 1.e4 — 10% of White games, 10.7% score
- …c5 (43% of these games) — Golding usually continues Nf3 (0.0% score)
- …e5 (36% of these games) — Golding usually continues f4 (25.0% score)
- …d5 (14% of these games) — Golding usually continues d3 (0.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (74 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 70 | 94.6% | 42.9% |
| Nc6 | 3 | 4.1% | 83.3% |
| e6 | 1 | 1.4% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (37 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 34 | 91.9% | 41.2% |
| g6 | 1 | 2.7% | 100.0% |
| Nf6 | 1 | 2.7% | 100.0% |
| e5 | 1 | 2.7% | 0.0% |
James Golding's chess games
All 280 games by James Golding in the Chess.ceo database (May 2013 - Nov 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: 103 wins, 64 draws, 113 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E81 | King's Indian: Sämisch | 16 | 9/3/4 | 56.3% |
| A65 | Indian Defense | 15 | 9/2/4 | 60.0% |
| A58 | Benoni Defense | 13 | 5/3/5 | 38.5% |
| E14 | Queen's Indian Defense | 12 | 4/3/5 | 33.3% |
| D30 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 11 | 8/1/2 | 72.7% |
| D31 | Semi-Slav Defense | 9 | 4/2/3 | 44.4% |
| D18 | Slav Defense | 7 | 3/3/1 | 42.9% |
| E11 | Bogo-Indian Defense | 7 | 2/3/2 | 28.6% |
| A85 | Horwitz Defense | 6 | 1/1/4 | 16.7% |
| C34 | King's Gambit | 4 | 1/0/3 | 25.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 23 | 5/8/10 | 21.7% |
| D34 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 14 | 3/4/7 | 21.4% |
| C54 | Italian Game | 14 | 5/4/5 | 35.7% |
| D30 | English Opening | 9 | 3/0/6 | 33.3% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 9 | 4/1/4 | 44.4% |
| C45 | Scotch Game | 6 | 2/1/3 | 33.3% |
| A14 | English Opening: Neo-Catalan | 5 | 1/1/3 | 20.0% |
| C47 | Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation | 5 | 0/2/3 | 0.0% |
| D34 | Indian Defense | 5 | 2/1/2 | 40.0% |
| A09 | Réti Opening | 5 | 2/1/2 | 40.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | Miragha Aghayev | 2,430 | 15th LCC Super Rapid | C50 |
| Jan 2023 | Yichen Han | 2,423 | Hastings Masters Open | D31 |
| Jun 2025 | Artyom Bogdanov | 2,370 | 3rd Munich Whitsun Open A | C07 |
| Jan 2019 | Neil H Bradbury | 2,363 | chT2a-BCF 1819 (4NCL) | A70 |
| Feb 2022 | Andrew J Ledger | 2,361 | chT-BCF 2122 (4NCL) | E11 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| chT-BCF4 U18 1920 (4NCL) online | 2020 | 16 | 3 | 1,079 |
| ch-BCF U14 | 2015 | 14 | 9.5 | 1,190 |
| 103rd ch-GBR | 2016 | 11 | 3 | 1,895 |
| ch-BCF Week2 PM Open | 2015 | 10 | 5.5 | 1,916 |
| 104th ch-GBR | 2017 | 9 | 4 | 2,053 |
| 26th ch-EU U16 | 2016 | 9 | 4.5 | 2,108 |
| London Crouch Open | 2016 | 9 | 3 | 1,870 |
| KCF University Cup | 2021 | 9 | 5 | 2,077 |
Interactive opening tree from all 280 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find James Golding's chess games?
280 games by James Golding, from May 2013 to Nov 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 Golding has played.
What does James Golding play on the first move as White?
Across 137 games with White in our database, James Golding opens with 1.d4 (88% of games), 1.e4 (10% of games), 1.f4 (1% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, James Golding answers 1...e5 (95% of games), 1...Nc6 (4% of games), 1...e6 (1% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (92% of games), 1...g6 (3% of games), 1...Nf6 (3% of games).
What openings does James Golding play as White?
As White, James Golding's most-played openings in our database are: King's Indian: Sämisch (16 games, 56.3% win rate); Indian Defense (15 games, 60.0% win rate); Benoni Defense (13 games, 38.5% win rate). The full breakdown of 137 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does James Golding play as Black?
As Black, James Golding most often plays: Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense (23 games, 21.7% win rate); Queen's Gambit Declined (14 games, 21.4% win rate); Italian Game (14 games, 35.7% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 143 games.
What is James Golding's FIDE rating?
James Golding is currently rated 2,165 in classical chess, 2,022 in rapid and 2,086 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,203 (Jan 2025).
How many games has James Golding played?
Our database contains 280 games by James Golding, covering May 2013 to Nov 2026. Overall record: 103 wins, 64 draws, 113 losses (36.8% win rate).
How do I prepare against James Golding?
280 games by James Golding 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.