Prepare against James Morris
IM · Australia · World #1,110 classical · FIDE ID 3205800
When preparing against James Morris, expect 1.e4 in 54% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (36% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (69%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Nimzowitsch Defense as Black, 23.8% over 21 games.
Our database contains 851 games by James Morris, covering Oct 2005 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find James Morris's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout James Morris 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 | 2,442 | 2,503 | Jul 2018 |
| Rapid | 2,358 | 2,389 | Sep 2025 |
| Blitz | 2,415 | 2,485 | Dec 2015 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 851 | 412 | 231 | 208 | 48.4% |
| As White | 426 | 215 | 114 | 97 | 50.5% |
| As Black | 425 | 197 | 117 | 111 | 46.4% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of James Morris's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from James Morris's side.
First moves as White (425 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 231 | 54.4% | 66.7% |
| c4 | 79 | 18.6% | 60.1% |
| Nf3 | 55 | 12.9% | 64.5% |
| d4 | 54 | 12.7% | 58.3% |
| f4 | 2 | 0.5% | 25.0% |
| b3 | 1 | 0.2% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 54% of White games, 66.7% score
- …c5 (42% of these games) — Morris usually continues Nf3 (69.5% score)
- …e5 (20% of these games) — Morris usually continues Nf3 (59.0% score)
- …e6 (14% of these games) — Morris usually continues d4 (75.0% score)
- 1.c4 — 19% of White games, 60.1% score
- …e5 (27% of these games) — Morris usually continues Nc3 (64.7% score)
- …c5 (27% of these games) — Morris usually continues Nc3 (65.6% score)
- …Nf6 (25% of these games) — Morris usually continues Nc3 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (198 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 71 | 35.9% | 60.6% |
| e6 | 43 | 21.7% | 61.6% |
| Nc6 | 30 | 15.2% | 51.7% |
| e5 | 23 | 11.6% | 58.7% |
| d6 | 12 | 6.1% | 58.3% |
| g6 | 11 | 5.6% | 68.2% |
As Black against 1.d4 (153 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 105 | 68.6% | 60.0% |
| e6 | 21 | 13.7% | 69.0% |
| c5 | 11 | 7.2% | 86.4% |
| d5 | 8 | 5.2% | 43.8% |
| g6 | 6 | 3.9% | 66.7% |
| d6 | 1 | 0.7% | 100.0% |
James Morris's chess games
All 851 games by James Morris in the Chess.ceo database (Oct 2005 - Sep 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: 412 wins, 231 draws, 208 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A05 | Réti Opening | 30 | 17/7/6 | 56.7% |
| B40 | Sicilian | 29 | 19/7/3 | 65.5% |
| A16 | English Opening | 24 | 12/6/6 | 50.0% |
| A21 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 23 | 13/4/6 | 56.5% |
| A36 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 22 | 10/5/7 | 45.5% |
| C00 | French Defense | 17 | 7/6/4 | 41.2% |
| B30 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 15 | 8/3/4 | 53.3% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 14 | 8/4/2 | 57.1% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 13 | 10/1/2 | 76.9% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 12 | 5/2/5 | 41.7% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A47 | Indian Defense | 30 | 16/8/6 | 53.3% |
| B00 | Nimzowitsch Defense | 21 | 5/7/9 | 23.8% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 19 | 9/7/3 | 47.4% |
| B22 | Sicilian | 18 | 10/6/2 | 55.6% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 18 | 5/9/4 | 27.8% |
| A16 | English Opening | 18 | 7/5/6 | 38.9% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 17 | 9/4/4 | 52.9% |
| E00 | Catalan | 16 | 4/8/4 | 25.0% |
| E11 | Bogo-Indian Defense | 15 | 8/4/3 | 53.3% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 14 | 4/4/6 | 28.6% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2023 | Kirill Alekseenko | 2,670 | 10th Sitges Sunway Open | B30 |
| Jun 2024 | Jorden Van Foreest | 2,665 | Chess.com Speed Play In | B07 |
| Dec 2025 | Alexander Donchenko | 2,661 | World Blitz 2025 | A53 |
| Mar 2016 | Hrant Melkumyan | 2,653 | 54th Doeberl Cup | E07 |
| Jun 2024 | Frederik Svane | 2,638 | Chess.com Speed Play In | B07 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-AUS | 2018 | 54 | 28 | 2,281 |
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 47 | 26.5 | 2,333 |
| ch-AUS U18 | 2011 | 42 | 26.5 | 1,916 |
| Oceania zt | 2011 | 27 | 17 | 2,253 |
| ch-Victoria | 2014 | 20 | 10.5 | 2,224 |
| Australian Open | 2015 | 18 | 9.5 | 2,358 |
| Sydney Open A | 2009 | 18 | 10 | 2,186 |
| Gold Coast Open | 2023 | 17 | 11.5 | 2,381 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Stephen J Solomon (18 games) · Christopher Wallis (16 games) · Bobby Cheng (13 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 851 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find James Morris's chess games?
851 games by James Morris, from Oct 2005 to Sep 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 Morris has played.
What does James Morris play on the first move as White?
Across 425 games with White in our database, James Morris opens with 1.e4 (54% of games), 1.c4 (19% of games), 1.Nf3 (13% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, James Morris answers 1...c5 (36% of games), 1...e6 (22% of games), 1...Nc6 (15% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (69% of games), 1...e6 (14% of games), 1...c5 (7% of games).
What openings does James Morris play as White?
As White, James Morris's most-played openings in our database are: Réti Opening (30 games, 56.7% win rate); Sicilian (29 games, 65.5% win rate); English Opening (24 games, 50.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 426 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does James Morris play as Black?
As Black, James Morris most often plays: Indian Defense (30 games, 53.3% win rate); Nimzowitsch Defense (21 games, 23.8% win rate); Modern Defense (19 games, 47.4% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 425 games.
What is James Morris's FIDE rating?
James Morris is currently rated 2,442 in classical chess, 2,358 in rapid and 2,415 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,503 (Jul 2018).
How many games has James Morris played?
Our database contains 851 games by James Morris, covering Oct 2005 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 412 wins, 231 draws, 208 losses (48.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against James Morris?
851 games by James Morris 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.