Prepare against Stephen Jessel
FM · Ireland · World #2,380 classical · FIDE ID 628859
Our database contains 680 games by Stephen Jessel, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Stephen Jessel's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Stephen Jessel 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 | 2,364 | 2,385 | Apr 2017 |
| Rapid | 2,265 | 2,319 | Oct 2019 |
| Blitz | 2,237 | 2,288 | Feb 2013 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 680 | 299 | 138 | 243 | 44.0% |
| As White | 342 | 154 | 73 | 115 | 45.0% |
| As Black | 338 | 145 | 65 | 128 | 42.9% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Stephen Jessel's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Stephen Jessel's side.
First moves as White (342 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf3 | 160 | 46.8% | 59.7% |
| e4 | 114 | 33.3% | 51.3% |
| g3 | 42 | 12.3% | 56.0% |
| c4 | 18 | 5.3% | 58.3% |
| b3 | 7 | 2.0% | 35.7% |
| e3 | 1 | 0.3% | 0.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.Nf3 — 47% of White games, 59.7% score
- …Nf6 (42% of these games) — Jessel usually continues c4 (60.7% score)
- …d5 (36% of these games) — Jessel usually continues c4 (60.7% score)
- …c5 (8% of these games) — Jessel usually continues c4 (65.4% score)
- 1.e4 — 33% of White games, 51.3% score
- …c5 (49% of these games) — Jessel usually continues Nf3 (48.2% score)
- …e5 (14% of these games) — Jessel usually continues Nf3 (56.3% score)
- …e6 (14% of these games) — Jessel usually continues d4 (59.4% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (167 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 139 | 83.2% | 56.1% |
| c5 | 12 | 7.2% | 45.8% |
| b6 | 9 | 5.4% | 61.1% |
| a6 | 3 | 1.8% | 100.0% |
| c6 | 3 | 1.8% | 0.0% |
| g6 | 1 | 0.6% | 0.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (113 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 65 | 57.5% | 50.0% |
| a6 | 20 | 17.7% | 55.0% |
| d5 | 17 | 15.0% | 55.9% |
| b6 | 5 | 4.4% | 30.0% |
| g6 | 3 | 2.7% | 66.7% |
| Nf6 | 2 | 1.8% | 25.0% |
Stephen Jessel's chess games
All 680 games by Stephen Jessel in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Aug 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: 299 wins, 138 draws, 243 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A15 | English Opening | 65 | 24/24/17 | 36.9% |
| A09 | Réti Opening | 38 | 19/10/9 | 50.0% |
| A14 | English Opening: Neo-Catalan | 31 | 19/3/9 | 61.3% |
| A00 | Hungarian Opening | 24 | 12/2/10 | 50.0% |
| B58 | Sicilian | 22 | 7/4/11 | 31.8% |
| A30 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 18 | 10/4/4 | 55.6% |
| A11 | English Opening: Slav Setup | 17 | 9/3/5 | 52.9% |
| C55 | Italian Game | 15 | 9/0/6 | 60.0% |
| B92 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 15 | 4/5/6 | 26.7% |
| B08 | Modern Defense | 14 | 4/5/5 | 28.6% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 45 | 24/7/14 | 53.3% |
| C00 | French Defense | 32 | 17/2/13 | 53.1% |
| C06 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 31 | 10/5/16 | 32.3% |
| A40 | Queen's Pawn Game | 27 | 14/3/10 | 51.9% |
| A40 | English Defense | 24 | 8/6/10 | 33.3% |
| A04 | Réti Opening | 20 | 7/4/9 | 35.0% |
| D52 | Slav Defense | 17 | 7/5/5 | 41.2% |
| D36 | Indian Defense | 15 | 3/6/6 | 20.0% |
| A40 | Horwitz Defense | 14 | 5/5/4 | 35.7% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 12 | 6/3/3 | 50.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2017 | Sergey A. Fedorchuk | 2,640 | Paris Oscaro Blitz | A13 |
| Mar 2023 | Rasmus Svane | 2,620 | Titled Tue Early | A81 |
| Feb 2025 | Leonardo Tristan | 2,542 | Titled Tue Late | A14 |
| Nov 2005 | Andrey Zhigalko | 2,537 | Wch U20 | B85 |
| Jul 2026 | Ibarra Jerez,JC | 2,533 | Titled Tue 7th Jul 2026 | C00 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 181 | 95 | 2,287 |
| ch-IRL | 2018 | 81 | 53.5 | 2,305 |
| ch-FRA U20 | 2006 | 15 | 11 | 2,378 |
| Wch U20 | 2005 | 13 | 6 | 2,370 |
| chT2-FRA 0304 | 2004 | 11 | 6 | 2,232 |
| 92nd ch-BCF | 2005 | 11 | 6.5 | 2,416 |
| Olympiad-42 | 2016 | 9 | 3.5 | 2,297 |
| 3rd Palma de Mallorca Open | 2008 | 9 | 5 | 2,301 |
Interactive opening tree from all 680 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Stephen Jessel's chess games?
680 games by Stephen Jessel, from Apr 2003 to Aug 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 Stephen Jessel has played.
What does Stephen Jessel play on the first move as White?
Across 342 games with White in our database, Stephen Jessel opens with 1.Nf3 (47% of games), 1.e4 (33% of games), 1.g3 (12% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Stephen Jessel answers 1...e6 (83% of games), 1...c5 (7% of games), 1...b6 (5% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...e6 (58% of games), 1...a6 (18% of games), 1...d5 (15% of games).
What openings does Stephen Jessel play as White?
As White, Stephen Jessel's most-played openings in our database are: English Opening (65 games, 36.9% win rate); Réti Opening (38 games, 50.0% win rate); English Opening: Neo-Catalan (31 games, 61.3% win rate). The full breakdown of 342 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Stephen Jessel play as Black?
As Black, Stephen Jessel most often plays: French: Classical Variation (45 games, 53.3% win rate); French Defense (32 games, 53.1% win rate); French: Tarrasch Variation (31 games, 32.3% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 338 games.
What is Stephen Jessel's FIDE rating?
Stephen Jessel is currently rated 2,364 in classical chess, 2,265 in rapid and 2,237 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,385 (Apr 2017).
How many games has Stephen Jessel played?
Our database contains 680 games by Stephen Jessel, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 299 wins, 138 draws, 243 losses (44.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against Stephen Jessel?
680 games by Stephen Jessel 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.