Prepare against John D M Nunn
GM · United Kingdom · World #497 classical · FIDE ID 400017
When preparing against John D M Nunn, expect 1.e4 in 100% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (59% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (97%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Indian Defense as Black, 20.5% over 73 games.
Our database contains 1,763 games by John D M Nunn, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find John D M Nunn's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout John D M Nunn 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 | 2,512 | 2,617 | Jul 2006 |
| Rapid | 2,536 | 2,601 | Dec 2014 |
| Blitz | 2,490 | 2,581 | Aug 2017 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,763 | 724 | 804 | 234 | 41.1% |
| As White | 896 | 438 | 370 | 88 | 48.9% |
| As Black | 867 | 286 | 434 | 146 | 33.0% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of John D M Nunn's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from John D M Nunn's side.
First moves as White (896 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 894 | 99.8% | 69.5% |
| d4 | 2 | 0.2% | 75.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 100% of White games, 69.5% score
- …c5 (38% of these games) — Nunn usually continues Nf3 (71.1% score)
- …e5 (27% of these games) — Nunn usually continues Nf3 (67.8% score)
- …e6 (16% of these games) — Nunn usually continues d4 (68.3% score)
- 1.d4 — 0% of White games, 75.0% score
- …Nf6 (100% of these games) — Nunn usually continues c4 (75.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (315 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 186 | 59.0% | 65.3% |
| e5 | 94 | 29.8% | 53.7% |
| d6 | 26 | 8.3% | 55.8% |
| g6 | 7 | 2.2% | 71.4% |
| c6 | 2 | 0.6% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (369 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 357 | 96.7% | 54.9% |
| g6 | 9 | 2.4% | 66.7% |
| d6 | 2 | 0.5% | 75.0% |
| d5 | 1 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
John D M Nunn's chess games
All 1,763 games by John D M Nunn in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - 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: 724 wins, 804 draws, 234 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B89 | Sicilian | 125 | 61/54/10 | 48.8% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 83 | 41/32/10 | 49.4% |
| C90 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 66 | 30/28/8 | 45.5% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 52 | 28/20/4 | 53.8% |
| C19 | French: Winawer Variation | 50 | 26/16/8 | 52.0% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 39 | 18/15/6 | 46.2% |
| C48 | Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation | 30 | 15/10/5 | 50.0% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 29 | 22/3/4 | 75.9% |
| B81 | Sicilian: Scheveningen | 27 | 13/11/3 | 48.1% |
| B70 | Sicilian: Dragon | 24 | 13/7/4 | 54.2% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E97 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 124 | 44/53/27 | 35.5% |
| D79 | Indian Defense | 73 | 15/46/12 | 20.5% |
| E81 | King's Indian: Sämisch | 60 | 16/27/17 | 26.7% |
| C89 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 58 | 13/37/8 | 22.4% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 58 | 25/22/10 | 43.1% |
| B07 | Modern Defense | 56 | 18/29/9 | 32.1% |
| E70 | King's Indian Defense | 46 | 12/26/8 | 26.1% |
| D79 | English Opening | 38 | 13/21/4 | 34.2% |
| B33 | Sicilian: Four Knights | 37 | 12/17/8 | 32.4% |
| A65 | Benoni Defense | 29 | 12/11/6 | 41.4% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1989 | Anatoly Karpov | 2,750 | World Cup | C92 |
| May 1991 | Boris Gelfand | 2,700 | Munich SKA | B07 |
| Jan 1995 | Alexei Shirov | 2,695 | Donner Memorial | E98 |
| Jan 1996 | Michael Adams | 2,685 | Hastings 9697 | B22 |
| Jan 1995 | Jeroen Piket | 2,670 | Amber Blindfold 04th | C39 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoogovens | 1993 | 82 | 48 | 2,639 |
| World Cup | 1989 | 63 | 34 | 2,650 |
| London Phillips&Drew | 1984 | 39 | 15 | 2,485 |
| WchT Seniors 65 | 2024 | 24 | 18.5 | 2,521 |
| The Hague AEGON | 1995 | 24 | 20 | – |
| OHRA-A | 1990 | 20 | 9.5 | 2,598 |
| Dortmund-A | 1991 | 20 | 10 | 2,531 |
| WchT Seniors 50 | 2017 | 19 | 13.5 | 2,484 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Jon S Speelman (20 games) · John T.H. Van der Wiel (19 games) · Nigel D Short (18 games) · Lubomir Ftacnik (15 games) · Predrag Nikolic (13 games) · Alexander G Beliavsky (12 games) · Michael Adams (12 games) · A Jonathan Mestel (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,763 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find John D M Nunn's chess games?
1,763 games by John D M Nunn, from Apr 2003 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 John D M Nunn has played.
What does John D M Nunn play on the first move as White?
Across 896 games with White in our database, John D M Nunn opens with 1.e4 (100% of games), 1.d4 (0% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, John D M Nunn answers 1...c5 (59% of games), 1...e5 (30% of games), 1...d6 (8% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (97% of games), 1...g6 (2% of games), 1...d6 (1% of games).
What openings does John D M Nunn play as White?
As White, John D M Nunn's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (125 games, 48.8% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (83 games, 49.4% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (66 games, 45.5% win rate). The full breakdown of 896 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does John D M Nunn play as Black?
As Black, John D M Nunn most often plays: King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (124 games, 35.5% win rate); Indian Defense (73 games, 20.5% win rate); King's Indian: Sämisch (60 games, 26.7% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 867 games.
What is John D M Nunn's FIDE rating?
John D M Nunn is currently rated 2,512 in classical chess, 2,536 in rapid and 2,490 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,617 (Jul 2006).
How many games has John D M Nunn played?
Our database contains 1,763 games by John D M Nunn, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 724 wins, 804 draws, 234 losses (41.1% win rate).
How do I prepare against John D M Nunn?
1,763 games by John D M Nunn 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.