Prepare against James Thomas
United Kingdom · World #35,975 classical · FIDE ID 343404995
When preparing against James Thomas, expect 1.Nf3 in 92% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e6 (83% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (67%).
Our database contains 44 games by James Thomas, covering Mar 2023 to Oct 2026. Below you'll find James Thomas's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout James Thomas 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 | 1,955 | 2,038 | May 2026 |
| Rapid | 1,972 | 1,985 | Feb 2026 |
| Blitz | 1,998 | 1,998 | Oct 2026 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 44 | 13 | 13 | 18 | 29.5% |
| As White | 24 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 41.7% |
| As Black | 20 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 15.0% |
FIDE rated record
From FIDE's official rated-game ledger (2022-2026): 317 rated games against 266 different opponents, across 46 events in 4 countries. These counts cover FIDE-rated play only, so they differ from the database totals above.
By time control
| Format | Games | W | D | L | Win rate | Avg opp | Perf | Unbeaten |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classical | 102 | 48 | 27 | 27 | 47.1% | 1,898 | 1,939 | 11 |
| Rapid | 88 | 55 | 10 | 23 | 62.5% | 1,710 | 1,883 | 10 |
| Blitz | 127 | 51 | 14 | 62 | 40.2% | 1,805 | 1,747 | 5 |
Against the field
| Opposition | Games | W | D | L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Against higher-rated | 93 | 33 | 13 | 47 | 35.5% |
| Against lower-rated | 84 | 49 | 13 | 22 | 58.3% |
Wins over titled players: 1 vs IM · 2 vs FM · 5 vs CM.
Tournament wins
8 tournament wins from 35 events, 2 of them outright.
Year by year
| Year | Games | W | D | L | Avg opp | Perf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 80 | 38 | 16 | 26 | 1,952 | 2,002 |
| 2025 | 72 | 38 | 14 | 20 | 1,868 | 1,981 |
| 2024 | 76 | 40 | 8 | 28 | 1,800 | 1,772 |
| 2023 | 77 | 32 | 13 | 32 | 1,649 | 1,603 |
| 2022 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 1,591 | 1,191 |
Where James Thomas has played
England (43) · Ireland (1) · Scotland (1) · Wales (1)
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of James Thomas's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from James Thomas's side.
First moves as White (24 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf3 | 22 | 91.7% | 52.3% |
| f4 | 1 | 4.2% | 100.0% |
| d4 | 1 | 4.2% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.Nf3 — 92% of White games, 52.3% score
- …d5 (45% of these games) — Thomas usually continues g3 (45.0% score)
- …Nf6 (36% of these games) — Thomas usually continues g3 (50.0% score)
- …f5 (14% of these games) — Thomas usually continues g3 (50.0% score)
- 1.f4 — 4% of White games, 100.0% score
- …d6 (100% of these games) — Thomas usually continues Nf3 (100.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (12 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 10 | 83.3% | 30.0% |
| e5 | 2 | 16.7% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (6 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 4 | 66.7% | 12.5% |
| d5 | 2 | 33.3% | 50.0% |
James Thomas's chess games
All 44 games by James Thomas in the Chess.ceo database (Mar 2023 - Oct 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: 13 wins, 13 draws, 18 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A07 | Réti Opening | 10 | 5/3/2 | 50.0% |
| A05 | Réti Opening: Symmetrical Defense | 5 | 1/2/2 | 20.0% |
| A14 | English Opening: Neo-Catalan | 3 | 0/1/2 | 0.0% |
| A04 | Dutch Defense | 3 | 2/0/1 | 66.7% |
| A48 | Indian Defense | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| A02 | Bird's opening | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| A05 | Réti Opening: Spassky Variation | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D94 | Benoni Defense | 3 | 0/1/2 | 0.0% |
| D10 | Slav Defense | 2 | 0/2/0 | 0.0% |
| C01 | French: Exchange Variation | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| C06 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| C55 | Italian Game | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 2 | 2/0/0 | 100.0% |
| C01 | French: Classical Variation | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| C00 | French Defense | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| A11 | English Opening: Slav Setup | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| E96 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | Oleg Verbytski | 2,228 | 112th ch-GBR 2026 | C55 |
| Aug 2026 | Koichi B Nicholas | 2,114 | 112th ch-GBR 2026 | A07 |
| Aug 2025 | Alan Peart | 2,065 | 111th ch-GBR Major Open | A96 |
| Aug 2025 | Keatan Patel | 2,041 | 111th ch-GBR Major Open | C02 |
| Aug 2025 | Tetsuaki Sanada | 2,021 | 111th ch-GBR Major Open | A05 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 111th ch-GBR Major Open | 2025 | 9 | 6 | 2,113 |
| 112th ch-GBR 2026 | 2026 | 9 | 3 | 2,047 |
| ch-BCF U16 | 2024 | 7 | 3 | 1,784 |
| ch-BCF PM U2050 Open | 2024 | 6 | 3.5 | 1,876 |
| Glorney Cup 2026 | 2026 | 5 | 1 | 1,721 |
| English Youth Championships 2026 | 2026 | 4 | 1.5 | 1,953 |
| Frome Chess Congress 2026 - Open | 2026 | 4 | 1.5 | 1,860 |
Interactive opening tree from all 44 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find James Thomas's chess games?
44 games by James Thomas, from Mar 2023 to Oct 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 Thomas has played.
What does James Thomas play on the first move as White?
Across 24 games with White in our database, James Thomas opens with 1.Nf3 (92% of games), 1.f4 (4% of games), 1.d4 (4% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, James Thomas answers 1...e6 (83% of games), 1...e5 (17% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (67% of games), 1...d5 (33% of games).
What openings does James Thomas play as White?
As White, James Thomas's most-played openings in our database are: Réti Opening (10 games, 50.0% win rate); Réti Opening: Symmetrical Defense (5 games, 20.0% win rate); English Opening: Neo-Catalan (3 games, 0.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 24 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does James Thomas play as Black?
As Black, James Thomas most often plays: Benoni Defense (3 games, 0.0% win rate); Slav Defense (2 games, 0.0% win rate); French: Exchange Variation (2 games, 0.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 20 games.
What is James Thomas's FIDE rating?
James Thomas is currently rated 1,955 in classical chess, 1,972 in rapid and 1,998 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,038 (May 2026).
How many games has James Thomas played?
Our database contains 44 games by James Thomas, covering Mar 2023 to Oct 2026. Overall record: 13 wins, 13 draws, 18 losses (29.5% win rate).
How do I prepare against James Thomas?
44 games by James Thomas 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.