Prepare against John Merriman
FM · United Kingdom · World #7,251 classical · FIDE ID 402362
When preparing against John Merriman, expect 1.d4 in 93% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e6 (98% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (51%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Indian Defense as Black, 31.4% over 35 games.
Our database contains 688 games by John Merriman, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 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 | 2,157 | 2,277 | Feb 2018 |
| Blitz | 2,187 | 2,266 | Sep 2023 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 688 | 264 | 127 | 297 | 38.4% |
| As White | 341 | 140 | 69 | 132 | 41.1% |
| As Black | 347 | 124 | 58 | 165 | 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 (340 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 317 | 93.2% | 50.5% |
| b3 | 20 | 5.9% | 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 (58% of these games) — Merriman usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- …d5 (23% of these games) — Merriman usually continues c4 (55.7% 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 (143 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 140 | 97.9% | 48.6% |
| c5 | 3 | 2.1% | 33.3% |
As Black against 1.d4 (131 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 67 | 51.1% | 35.8% |
| e6 | 62 | 47.3% | 46.8% |
| d5 | 2 | 1.5% | 50.0% |
John Merriman's chess games
All 688 games by John Merriman in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Sep 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: 264 wins, 127 draws, 297 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 | 40 | 15/5/20 | 37.5% |
| D45 | Slav Defense | 36 | 13/6/17 | 36.1% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 27 | 10/8/9 | 37.0% |
| 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 | 35 | 11/7/17 | 31.4% |
| 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 | 22 | 7/7/8 | 31.8% |
| 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 | 11 | 4/2/5 | 36.4% |
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 | 104th ch-GBR | C06 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 322 | 125 | 2,085 |
| London Classic Open | 2017 | 15 | 9.5 | 2,273 |
| chT-BCF 2122 (4NCL) | 2022 | 10 | 7.5 | 2,429 |
| 2026 Mind Sports Olympiad London Rapid - Open | 2026 | 10 | 5 | 2,061 |
| Hull 4NCL Open | 2022 | 10 | 7 | 2,277 |
| 106th ch-GBR | 2019 | 9 | 3.5 | 2,113 |
| Isle of Man Open | 1994 | 9 | 4.5 | 2,403 |
| 109th ch-GBR | 2023 | 9 | 5 | 2,172 |
Interactive opening tree from all 688 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find John Merriman's chess games?
688 games by John Merriman, from Apr 2003 to Sep 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 340 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 (51% of games), 1...e6 (47% 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 (40 games, 37.5% win rate). The full breakdown of 341 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 (35 games, 31.4% win rate); Benoni Defense (34 games, 32.4% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 347 games.
What is John Merriman's FIDE rating?
John Merriman is currently rated 2,220 in classical chess, 2,157 in rapid and 2,187 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,314 (Jan 2023).
How many games has John Merriman played?
Our database contains 688 games by John Merriman, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 264 wins, 127 draws, 297 losses (38.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against John Merriman?
688 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.