Prepare against Joel Marcus
United States · World #61,792 classical · FIDE ID 30920051
When preparing against Joel Marcus, expect 1.d4 in 100% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (67% of games); against 1.d4, 1...d5 (79%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: London System as White, 70.6% over 17 games.
Our database contains 71 games by Joel Marcus, covering Jun 2015 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Joel Marcus's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Joel Marcus 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 | 1,850 | 1,876 | Dec 2015 |
| Rapid | 1,879 | 1,879 | Jul 2026 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 71 | 39 | 11 | 21 | 54.9% |
| As White | 35 | 20 | 6 | 9 | 57.1% |
| As Black | 36 | 19 | 5 | 12 | 52.8% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Joel Marcus's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Joel Marcus's side.
First moves as White (35 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 35 | 100.0% | 65.7% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 100% of White games, 65.7% score
- …Nf6 (46% of these games) — Marcus usually continues Nf3 (65.6% score)
- …d5 (31% of these games) — Marcus usually continues Bf4 (78.6% score)
- …d6 (9% of these games) — Marcus usually continues Nf3 (33.3% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (12 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 8 | 66.7% | 56.3% |
| d6 | 4 | 33.3% | 37.5% |
As Black against 1.d4 (14 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 11 | 78.6% | 63.6% |
| d6 | 3 | 21.4% | 100.0% |
Joel Marcus's chess games
All 71 games by Joel Marcus in the Chess.ceo database (Jun 2015 - Jul 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: 39 wins, 11 draws, 21 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D02 | London System | 17 | 12/2/3 | 70.6% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 11 | 7/1/3 | 63.6% |
| A80 | Horwitz Defense | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| A41 | Rat Defense | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| D02 | Benoni Defense | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
| A80 | Dutch Defense | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| A41 | Modern Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 7 | 4/0/3 | 57.1% |
| D07 | Queen's Gambit | 5 | 4/1/0 | 80.0% |
| D02 | London System | 3 | 1/0/2 | 33.3% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 2 | 2/0/0 | 100.0% |
| D45 | Slav Defense | 2 | 1/1/0 | 50.0% |
| A41 | Indian Defense | 2 | 2/0/0 | 100.0% |
| A25 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| A13 | English Opening | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| C41 | Pirc Defense: Lion System | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| D07 | Queen's Pawn Game | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | Peter Verboven | 2,038 | 33rd World Senior 65+ | D00 |
| Jul 2015 | Steven Krasnov | 1,977 | San Francisco TNM Summer Open | A48 |
| Aug 2015 | Michael Askin | 1,967 | San Francisco Leighton Mem | D02 |
| Oct 2025 | Michael A Gilbert | 1,967 | 33rd World Senior 65+ | A41 |
| Sep 2015 | David Klinetobe | 1,963 | San Francisco Leighton Mem | D02 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco TNM Fall Open | 2017 | 16 | 10.5 | 1,786 |
| San Francisco TNM Summer Open | 2017 | 15 | 9.5 | 1,867 |
| San Francisco TNM Spring Open | 2017 | 15 | 8 | 1,717 |
| San Francisco Leighton Mem | 2015 | 6 | 4 | 2,094 |
| 33rd World Senior 65+ | 2025 | 6 | 3 | 2,013 |
| San Francisco TNM Winter Open | 2017 | 6 | 4 | 1,728 |
| San Francisco Grey Memorial | 2017 | 5 | 3.5 | 1,916 |
| San Francisco Benson Memorial | 2016 | 2 | 2 | 1,844 |
Interactive opening tree from all 71 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Joel Marcus's chess games?
71 games by Joel Marcus, from Jun 2015 to Jul 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 Joel Marcus has played.
What does Joel Marcus play on the first move as White?
Across 35 games with White in our database, Joel Marcus opens with 1.d4 (100% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Joel Marcus answers 1...e5 (67% of games), 1...d6 (33% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (79% of games), 1...d6 (21% of games).
What openings does Joel Marcus play as White?
As White, Joel Marcus's most-played openings in our database are: London System (17 games, 70.6% win rate); Indian Defense (11 games, 63.6% win rate); Horwitz Defense (2 games, 0.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 35 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Joel Marcus play as Black?
As Black, Joel Marcus most often plays: Petrov's Defense (7 games, 57.1% win rate); Queen's Gambit (5 games, 80.0% win rate); London System (3 games, 33.3% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 36 games.
What is Joel Marcus's FIDE rating?
Joel Marcus is currently rated 1,850 in classical chess, 1,879 in rapid. Peak classical rating: 1,876 (Dec 2015).
How many games has Joel Marcus played?
Our database contains 71 games by Joel Marcus, covering Jun 2015 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 39 wins, 11 draws, 21 losses (54.9% win rate).
How do I prepare against Joel Marcus?
71 games by Joel Marcus 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.