Prepare against Justin James
St. Lucia · World #45,239 classical · FIDE ID 23000422
When preparing against Justin James, expect 1.e4 in 95% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (100% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (71%).
Our database contains 38 games by Justin James, covering May 2023 to Nov 2026. Below you'll find Justin James's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Justin James 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 | 1,914 | 1,914 | Nov 2026 |
| Rapid | 1,892 | 1,892 | Nov 2026 |
| Blitz | 1,794 | 1,837 | Sep 2025 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 38 | 17 | 5 | 16 | 44.7% |
| As White | 20 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 60.0% |
| As Black | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 27.8% |
FIDE rated record
From FIDE's official rated-game ledger (2023-2026): 337 rated games against 203 different opponents, across 45 events in 9 countries. These counts cover FIDE-rated play only, so they differ from the database totals above.
By time control
| Format | Games | W | D | L | Win rate | Avg opp | Perf | Unbeaten |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classical | 126 | 65 | 30 | 31 | 51.6% | 1,750 | 1,823 | 20 |
| Rapid | 65 | 39 | 6 | 20 | 60.0% | 1,767 | 1,793 | 7 |
| Blitz | 76 | 54 | 4 | 18 | 71.1% | 1,692 | 1,802 | 12 |
Against the field
| Opposition | Games | W | D | L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Against higher-rated | 131 | 46 | 22 | 63 | 35.1% |
| Against lower-rated | 133 | 84 | 24 | 25 | 63.2% |
Wins over titled players: 3 vs FM · 16 vs CM · 1 vs WIM · 1 vs WFM · 11 vs WCM.
Tournament wins
11 tournament wins from 44 events, 6 of them outright.
Year by year
| Year | Games | W | D | L | Avg opp | Perf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 54 | 36 | 5 | 13 | 1,823 | 1,965 |
| 2025 | 91 | 50 | 17 | 24 | 1,760 | 1,828 |
| 2024 | 152 | 90 | 19 | 43 | 1,737 | 1,780 |
| 2023 | 40 | 17 | 9 | 14 | 1,376 | 1,351 |
Where Justin James has played
St. Lucia (23) · El Salvador (2) · Guyana (2) · Peru (2) · TTO (2) · Barbados (1) · Hungary (1) · Puerto Rico (1) · Uzbekistan (1)
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Justin James's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Justin James's side.
First moves as White (20 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 19 | 95.0% | 65.8% |
| c4 | 1 | 5.0% | 0.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 95% of White games, 65.8% score
- …c5 (42% of these games) — James usually continues Nf3 (43.8% score)
- …e5 (16% of these games) — James usually continues Nf3 (100.0% score)
- …g6 (11% of these games) — James usually continues d4 (50.0% score)
- 1.c4 — 5% of White games, 0.0% score
- …e6 (100% of these games) — James usually continues Nc3 (0.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (7 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 7 | 100.0% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (7 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 5 | 71.4% | 30.0% |
| d5 | 2 | 28.6% | 25.0% |
Justin James's chess games
All 38 games by Justin James in the Chess.ceo database (May 2023 - Nov 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: 17 wins, 5 draws, 16 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B31 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 3 | 1/1/1 | 33.3% |
| A41 | Modern Defense | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| B28 | Sicilian | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| C82 | Ruy Lopez: Open | 2 | 2/0/0 | 100.0% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| B04 | Alekhine Defense | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| B01 | Scandinavian Defense: Main Line | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| B92 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| C62 | Ruy Lopez | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 3 | 1/1/1 | 33.3% |
| A48 | Indian Defense | 3 | 0/2/1 | 0.0% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| A45 | London System | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| D01 | Richter-Veresov Attack | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| D66 | Semi-Slav Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| E05 | Catalan | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | Ryan Harper | 2,174 | CARIFTA HYBRID 2026 | Open | B99 |
| Sep 2026 | Ali Al-Ghasra | 1,991 | 46th Olympiad 2026 | B51 |
| Sep 2024 | Peter Rowe | 1,973 | Olympiad-45 | B07 |
| Jul 2026 | Mike McDonald | 1,949 | CARIFTA HYBRID 2026 | Open | B92 |
| Jul 2026 | Aayush Jain | 1,944 | CARIFTA HYBRID 2026 | Open | B06 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46th Olympiad 2026 | 2026 | 10 | 5 | 1,931 |
| Olympiad-45 | 2024 | 10 | 4 | 1,916 |
| XX Festival Centroamericano y del Caribe de la Juventud 2025 | Sub-18 Abs | 2025 | 9 | 4.5 | 1,764 |
| CARIFTA HYBRID 2026 | Open | 2026 | 9 | 6 | 2,027 |
Interactive opening tree from all 38 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Justin James's chess games?
38 games by Justin James, from May 2023 to Nov 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 Justin James has played.
What does Justin James play on the first move as White?
Across 20 games with White in our database, Justin James opens with 1.e4 (95% of games), 1.c4 (5% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Justin James answers 1...c5 (100% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (71% of games), 1...d5 (29% of games).
What openings does Justin James play as White?
As White, Justin James's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian: Rossolimo (3 games, 33.3% win rate); Modern Defense (2 games, 50.0% win rate); Sicilian (2 games, 0.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 20 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Justin James play as Black?
As Black, Justin James most often plays: Sicilian: Najdorf (3 games, 33.3% win rate); Indian Defense (3 games, 0.0% win rate); Sicilian (2 games, 50.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 18 games.
What is Justin James's FIDE rating?
Justin James is currently rated 1,914 in classical chess, 1,892 in rapid and 1,794 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 1,914 (Nov 2026).
How many games has Justin James played?
Our database contains 38 games by Justin James, covering May 2023 to Nov 2026. Overall record: 17 wins, 5 draws, 16 losses (44.7% win rate).
How do I prepare against Justin James?
38 games by Justin James 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.