Prepare against John Merriman
FM · United Kingdom · World #7,217 classical · FIDE ID 402362
Our database contains 678 games by John Merriman, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find John Merriman's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout John Merriman 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 | 2,220 | 2,314 | Jan 2023 |
| Rapid | 2,189 | 2,277 | Feb 2018 |
| Blitz | 2,187 | 2,266 | Sep 2023 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 678 | 260 | 125 | 293 | 38.3% |
| As White | 336 | 138 | 68 | 130 | 41.1% |
| As Black | 342 | 122 | 57 | 163 | 35.7% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of John Merriman's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from John Merriman's side.
First moves as White (335 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 312 | 93.1% | 50.5% |
| b3 | 20 | 6.0% | 60.0% |
| g3 | 1 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
| c4 | 1 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
| e3 | 1 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 93% of White games, 50.5% score
- …Nf6 (59% of these games) — Merriman usually continues c4 (50.3% score)
- …d5 (23% of these games) — Merriman usually continues c4 (55.9% score)
- …e6 (5% of these games) — Merriman usually continues c4 (43.3% score)
- 1.b3 — 6% of White games, 60.0% score
- …e5 (35% of these games) — Merriman usually continues Bb2 (71.4% score)
- …Nf6 (30% of these games) — Merriman usually continues Bb2 (50.0% score)
- …d5 (20% of these games) — Merriman usually continues Bb2 (75.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (141 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 138 | 97.9% | 48.6% |
| c5 | 3 | 2.1% | 33.3% |
As Black against 1.d4 (128 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 67 | 52.3% | 35.8% |
| e6 | 59 | 46.1% | 46.6% |
| d5 | 2 | 1.6% | 50.0% |
John Merriman's chess games
All 678 games by John Merriman 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: 260 wins, 125 draws, 293 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E46 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 58 | 22/15/21 | 37.9% |
| E81 | King's Indian: Sämisch | 42 | 22/8/12 | 52.4% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 39 | 15/5/19 | 38.5% |
| D45 | Slav Defense | 33 | 11/6/16 | 33.3% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 26 | 10/7/9 | 38.5% |
| D31 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 21 | 9/6/6 | 42.9% |
| A01 | Nimzovich-Larsen attack | 20 | 11/2/7 | 55.0% |
| A41 | Queen's Pawn Game | 12 | 4/4/4 | 33.3% |
| A81 | Dutch Defense | 10 | 5/3/2 | 50.0% |
| A42 | Modern Defense | 8 | 2/1/5 | 25.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C03 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 42 | 16/10/16 | 38.1% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 34 | 10/7/17 | 29.4% |
| A70 | Benoni Defense | 34 | 11/1/22 | 32.4% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 29 | 13/1/15 | 44.8% |
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 23 | 8/4/11 | 34.8% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 21 | 6/7/8 | 28.6% |
| C00 | French Defense | 18 | 8/3/7 | 44.4% |
| A05 | Réti Opening | 13 | 3/2/8 | 23.1% |
| A15 | English Opening | 13 | 4/3/6 | 30.8% |
| A62 | Catalan | 9 | 4/1/4 | 44.4% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2019 | Gergely Kantor | 2,541 | 95th Hastings Masters Open | E01 |
| Jan 1994 | Glenn C Flear | 2,505 | Isle of Man Open | D36 |
| Aug 2017 | Mark L Hebden | 2,477 | 104th ch-GBR | E81 |
| Dec 2017 | Yang-Fan Zhou | 2,459 | London Classic Open | B22 |
| Jul 2017 | Simon K Williams | 2,442 | 5th London Kings Place Rapid Open | A91 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 322 | 125 | 2,085 |
| London Classic Open | 2017 | 15 | 9.5 | 2,273 |
| Hull 4NCL Open | 2022 | 10 | 7 | 2,277 |
| chT-BCF 2122 (4NCL) | 2022 | 10 | 7.5 | 2,429 |
| chT-BCF 9798 (4NCL) | 1998 | 9 | 4 | 2,235 |
| 108th ch-GBR | 2022 | 9 | 5 | 2,340 |
| 106th ch-GBR | 2019 | 9 | 3.5 | 2,113 |
| 109th ch-GBR | 2023 | 9 | 5 | 2,172 |
Interactive opening tree from all 678 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find John Merriman's chess games?
678 games by John Merriman, 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 John Merriman has played.
What does John Merriman play on the first move as White?
Across 335 games with White in our database, John Merriman opens with 1.d4 (93% of games), 1.b3 (6% of games), 1.g3 (0% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, John Merriman answers 1...e6 (98% of games), 1...c5 (2% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (52% of games), 1...e6 (46% of games), 1...d5 (2% of games).
What openings does John Merriman play as White?
As White, John Merriman's most-played openings in our database are: Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System (58 games, 37.9% win rate); King's Indian: Sämisch (42 games, 52.4% win rate); Benoni Defense (39 games, 38.5% win rate). The full breakdown of 336 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does John Merriman play as Black?
As Black, John Merriman most often plays: French: Tarrasch Variation (42 games, 38.1% win rate); Indian Defense (34 games, 29.4% win rate); Benoni Defense (34 games, 32.4% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 342 games.
What is John Merriman's FIDE rating?
John Merriman is currently rated 2,220 in classical chess, 2,189 in rapid and 2,187 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,314 (Jan 2023).
How many games has John Merriman played?
Our database contains 678 games by John Merriman, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 260 wins, 125 draws, 293 losses (38.3% win rate).
How do I prepare against John Merriman?
678 games by John Merriman 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.