Prepare against James Tarjan
GM · United States · World #6,917 classical · FIDE ID 2000180
When preparing against James Tarjan, expect 1.c4 in 43% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (43% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (53%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Queen's Indian Defense as Black, 13.0% over 23 games.
Our database contains 810 games by James Tarjan, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find James Tarjan's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout James Tarjan 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 | 2,525 | Oct 2014 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 810 | 328 | 274 | 208 | 40.5% |
| As White | 401 | 193 | 123 | 85 | 48.1% |
| As Black | 409 | 135 | 151 | 123 | 33.0% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of James Tarjan's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from James Tarjan's side.
First moves as White (401 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c4 | 171 | 42.6% | 57.3% |
| d4 | 151 | 37.7% | 69.5% |
| e4 | 66 | 16.5% | 65.9% |
| Nf3 | 13 | 3.2% | 61.5% |
Main lines as White
- 1.c4 — 43% of White games, 57.3% score
- …e5 (27% of these games) — Tarjan usually continues g3 (50.0% score)
- …Nf6 (23% of these games) — Tarjan usually continues g3 (61.4% score)
- …e6 (16% of these games) — Tarjan usually continues g3 (46.2% score)
- 1.d4 — 38% of White games, 69.5% score
- …Nf6 (78% of these games) — Tarjan usually continues c4 (66.2% score)
- …d5 (15% of these games) — Tarjan usually continues c4 (77.3% score)
- …g6 (3% of these games) — Tarjan usually continues e4 (80.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (184 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 80 | 43.5% | 46.3% |
| c5 | 64 | 34.8% | 63.3% |
| c6 | 34 | 18.5% | 54.4% |
| g6 | 6 | 3.3% | 75.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (138 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 73 | 52.9% | 43.2% |
| d5 | 33 | 23.9% | 43.9% |
| f5 | 25 | 18.1% | 56.0% |
| g6 | 4 | 2.9% | 50.0% |
| e6 | 3 | 2.2% | 66.7% |
James Tarjan's chess games
All 810 games by James Tarjan in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - 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: 328 wins, 274 draws, 208 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A22 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 49 | 19/15/15 | 38.8% |
| A36 | English Opening | 49 | 22/17/10 | 44.9% |
| A37 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 28 | 11/11/6 | 39.3% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 23 | 12/6/5 | 52.2% |
| A70 | Benoni Defense | 21 | 13/7/1 | 61.9% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 19 | 7/10/2 | 36.8% |
| D94 | Slav Defense | 19 | 9/6/4 | 47.4% |
| D87 | Grünfeld Defense | 16 | 11/5/0 | 68.8% |
| E41 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 15 | 5/7/3 | 33.3% |
| A42 | Modern Defense | 14 | 9/3/2 | 64.3% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A90 | Dutch Defense | 28 | 9/13/6 | 32.1% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 23 | 3/12/8 | 13.0% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 22 | 5/6/11 | 22.7% |
| B99 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 22 | 12/3/7 | 54.5% |
| C95 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 18 | 5/6/7 | 27.8% |
| B57 | Sicilian | 18 | 8/4/6 | 44.4% |
| C55 | Italian Game | 16 | 4/6/6 | 25.0% |
| A36 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 15 | 6/7/2 | 40.0% |
| E01 | Catalan | 14 | 4/5/5 | 28.6% |
| A30 | English Opening | 13 | 4/5/4 | 30.8% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2017 | Vladimir Kramnik | 2,803 | Douglas IoM Open | A12 |
| Sep 2015 | Sergei Movsesian | 2,658 | Titled Tue | A37 |
| Nov 1983 | Yasser Seirawan | 2,600 | Jakarta International | D30 |
| Dec 2015 | Anton Demchenko | 2,596 | Titled Tue | B15 |
| Sep 1979 | Ljubomir Ljubojevic | 2,590 | Interzonal-11a | E55 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2017 | 83 | 34.5 | 2,270 |
| ch-USA | 1984 | 57 | 30 | 2,512 |
| Lone Pine Open Louis D. Statham Masters | 1981 | 36 | 20.5 | 2,485 |
| Douglas IoM Open | 2018 | 27 | 14 | 2,446 |
| Canadian Open | 2024 | 25 | 16 | 2,297 |
| Jakarta International | 1983 | 21 | 10 | 2,502 |
| Douglas PokerStars Open | 2015 | 18 | 10.5 | 2,465 |
| Interzonal-11a | 1979 | 17 | 8 | 2,516 |
Interactive opening tree from all 810 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find James Tarjan's chess games?
810 games by James Tarjan, from Apr 2003 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 Tarjan has played.
What does James Tarjan play on the first move as White?
Across 401 games with White in our database, James Tarjan opens with 1.c4 (43% of games), 1.d4 (38% of games), 1.e4 (16% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, James Tarjan answers 1...e5 (43% of games), 1...c5 (35% of games), 1...c6 (18% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (53% of games), 1...d5 (24% of games), 1...f5 (18% of games).
What openings does James Tarjan play as White?
As White, James Tarjan's most-played openings in our database are: English Opening: Reverse Sicilian (49 games, 38.8% win rate); English Opening (49 games, 44.9% win rate); English Opening: Symmetrical (28 games, 39.3% win rate). The full breakdown of 401 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does James Tarjan play as Black?
As Black, James Tarjan most often plays: Dutch Defense (28 games, 32.1% win rate); Queen's Indian Defense (23 games, 13.0% win rate); Indian Defense (22 games, 22.7% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 409 games.
What is James Tarjan's FIDE rating?
James Tarjan is currently rated 2,227 in classical chess. Peak classical rating: 2,525 (Oct 2014).
How many games has James Tarjan played?
Our database contains 810 games by James Tarjan, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 328 wins, 274 draws, 208 losses (40.5% win rate).
How do I prepare against James Tarjan?
810 games by James Tarjan 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.