Prepare against Jon S Speelman
GM · United Kingdom · World #621 classical · FIDE ID 400033
Our database contains 2,473 games by Jon S Speelman, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Jon S Speelman's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Jon S Speelman 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 | 2,495 | 2,589 | Jul 2003 |
| Rapid | 2,540 | 2,540 | Jul 2026 |
| Blitz | 2,449 | 2,600 | May 2018 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,473 | 860 | 1,278 | 335 | 34.8% |
| As White | 1,211 | 493 | 604 | 114 | 40.7% |
| As Black | 1,262 | 367 | 674 | 221 | 29.1% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Jon S Speelman's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Jon S Speelman's side.
First moves as White (1,211 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf3 | 504 | 41.6% | 66.5% |
| d4 | 442 | 36.5% | 65.7% |
| e4 | 144 | 11.9% | 68.1% |
| c4 | 112 | 9.2% | 60.3% |
| g3 | 8 | 0.7% | 37.5% |
| b3 | 1 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.Nf3 — 42% of White games, 66.5% score
- …Nf6 (53% of these games) — Speelman usually continues c4 (67.8% score)
- …d5 (25% of these games) — Speelman usually continues g3 (64.6% score)
- …c5 (12% of these games) — Speelman usually continues c4 (67.6% score)
- 1.d4 — 36% of White games, 65.7% score
- …Nf6 (68% of these games) — Speelman usually continues Nf3 (63.9% score)
- …d5 (20% of these games) — Speelman usually continues Nf3 (71.0% score)
- …e6 (4% of these games) — Speelman usually continues g3 (75.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (544 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c6 | 265 | 48.7% | 57.0% |
| e6 | 110 | 20.2% | 51.4% |
| c5 | 80 | 14.7% | 63.1% |
| g6 | 36 | 6.6% | 69.4% |
| e5 | 22 | 4.0% | 52.3% |
| d6 | 16 | 2.9% | 65.6% |
As Black against 1.d4 (495 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 219 | 44.2% | 51.4% |
| e6 | 133 | 26.9% | 65.4% |
| d6 | 84 | 17.0% | 50.6% |
| d5 | 36 | 7.3% | 47.2% |
| g6 | 17 | 3.4% | 55.9% |
| Nc6 | 4 | 0.8% | 87.5% |
Jon S Speelman's chess games
All 2,473 games by Jon S Speelman 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: 860 wins, 1,278 draws, 335 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A46 | Indian Defense | 177 | 69/91/17 | 39.0% |
| A17 | English Opening | 148 | 60/72/16 | 40.5% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 78 | 31/39/8 | 39.7% |
| D45 | Slav Defense | 74 | 29/39/6 | 39.2% |
| A34 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 58 | 21/33/4 | 36.2% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 51 | 21/29/1 | 41.2% |
| E05 | Catalan | 46 | 20/20/6 | 43.5% |
| E54 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 41 | 13/24/4 | 31.7% |
| E92 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 35 | 18/13/4 | 51.4% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 34 | 20/12/2 | 58.8% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B17 | Caro-Kann: Karpov Variation | 101 | 27/65/9 | 26.7% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 71 | 16/41/14 | 22.5% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 64 | 29/20/15 | 45.3% |
| A40 | English Defense | 62 | 26/31/5 | 41.9% |
| A10 | English Opening | 60 | 16/31/13 | 26.7% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 55 | 12/30/13 | 21.8% |
| C07 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 53 | 11/33/9 | 20.8% |
| B67 | Sicilian | 52 | 22/20/10 | 42.3% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 51 | 17/22/12 | 33.3% |
| B14 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 41 | 8/27/6 | 19.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1996 | Vladimir Kramnik | 2,765 | Geneve PCA-GP Credit Suisse | D02 |
| Jan 1992 | Anatoly Karpov | 2,725 | Roquebrune | A46 |
| Jan 1998 | Alexei Shirov | 2,720 | chT-ESP | A11 |
| Dec 2021 | Michael Adams | 2,700 | 12th LCC English Rapid | B15 |
| May 2016 | Laurent Fressinet | 2,692 | BCF-chT1c 1516 (4NCL) Promotion pool | A48 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Cup | 1991 | 79 | 38.5 | 2,608 |
| Gibraltar Masters | 2007 | 49 | 29 | 2,540 |
| London Phillips&Drew | 1984 | 39 | 20 | 2,592 |
| WchT Seniors 50 | 2019 | 34 | 24 | 2,527 |
| chT-ESP | 1998 | 33 | 18 | 2,582 |
| Roquebrune Rapid | 1992 | 22 | 8.5 | 2,530 |
| ch-BCF | 1987 | 22 | 15 | 2,550 |
| ACP Blitz Prelim1 3rd | 2004 | 19 | 12 | 2,616 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Nigel D Short (40 games) · Michael Adams (25 games) · John D M Nunn (20 games) · A Jonathan Mestel (19 games) · Peter K Wells (17 games) · Luke J McShane (16 games) · H James Plaskett (15 games) · David W L Howell (15 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,473 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Jon S Speelman's chess games?
2,473 games by Jon S Speelman, 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 Jon S Speelman has played.
What does Jon S Speelman play on the first move as White?
Across 1,211 games with White in our database, Jon S Speelman opens with 1.Nf3 (42% of games), 1.d4 (36% of games), 1.e4 (12% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Jon S Speelman answers 1...c6 (49% of games), 1...e6 (20% of games), 1...c5 (15% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (44% of games), 1...e6 (27% of games), 1...d6 (17% of games).
What openings does Jon S Speelman play as White?
As White, Jon S Speelman's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (177 games, 39.0% win rate); English Opening (148 games, 40.5% win rate); Réti Opening (78 games, 39.7% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,211 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Jon S Speelman play as Black?
As Black, Jon S Speelman most often plays: Caro-Kann: Karpov Variation (101 games, 26.7% win rate); Indian Defense (71 games, 22.5% win rate); Modern Defense (64 games, 45.3% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,262 games.
What is Jon S Speelman's FIDE rating?
Jon S Speelman is currently rated 2,495 in classical chess, 2,540 in rapid and 2,449 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,589 (Jul 2003).
How many games has Jon S Speelman played?
Our database contains 2,473 games by Jon S Speelman, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 860 wins, 1,278 draws, 335 losses (34.8% win rate).
How do I prepare against Jon S Speelman?
2,473 games by Jon S Speelman 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.