Prepare against Lance Leslie-Smith
ZAF · World #81,520 classical · FIDE ID 14326906
When preparing against Lance Leslie-Smith, expect 1.d4 in 54% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (83% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (100%).
Our database contains 30 games by Lance Leslie-Smith, covering May 2017 to Oct 2026. Below you'll find Lance Leslie-Smith's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Lance Leslie-Smith 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 | 1,785 | 1,785 | Oct 2026 |
| Rapid | 1,807 | 1,819 | Sep 2026 |
| Blitz | 1,846 | 1,846 | Oct 2026 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 30 | 10 | 3 | 17 | 33.3% |
| As White | 13 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 30.8% |
| As Black | 17 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 35.3% |
FIDE rated record
From FIDE's official rated-game ledger (2017-2026): 373 rated games against 304 different opponents, across 85 events in 3 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 | 51 | 29 | 6 | 16 | 56.9% | 1,514 | 1,580 | 11 |
| Rapid | 144 | 92 | 9 | 43 | 63.9% | 1,614 | 1,682 | 13 |
| Blitz | 178 | 93 | 5 | 80 | 52.2% | 1,780 | 1,777 | 8 |
Against the field
| Opposition | Games | W | D | L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Against higher-rated | 170 | 64 | 12 | 94 | 37.6% |
| Against lower-rated | 121 | 88 | 5 | 28 | 72.7% |
Wins over titled players: 3 vs FM · 2 vs CM.
Tournament wins
3 tournament wins from 79 events.
Year by year
| Year | Games | W | D | L | Avg opp | Perf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 29 | 23 | 0 | 6 | 1,767 | 2,001 |
| 2025 | 34 | 21 | 1 | 12 | 1,758 | 1,817 |
| 2024 | 113 | 56 | 6 | 51 | 1,770 | 1,766 |
| 2023 | 83 | 56 | 5 | 22 | 1,577 | 1,668 |
| 2022 | 67 | 35 | 4 | 28 | 1,616 | 1,616 |
| 2021 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1,636 | 1,786 |
| 2018 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1,324 | 1,324 |
| 2017 | 30 | 12 | 3 | 15 | 1,678 | 1,467 |
Where Lance Leslie-Smith has played
England (79) · South Africa (5) · Spain (1)
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Lance Leslie-Smith's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Lance Leslie-Smith's side.
First moves as White (13 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 7 | 53.8% | 35.7% |
| Nf3 | 5 | 38.5% | 30.0% |
| e4 | 1 | 7.7% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 54% of White games, 35.7% score
- …Nf6 (86% of these games) — Leslie-Smith usually continues Nf3 (41.7% score)
- …d5 (14% of these games) — Leslie-Smith usually continues c4 (0.0% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 38% of White games, 30.0% score
- …Nf6 (60% of these games) — Leslie-Smith usually continues d4 (33.3% score)
- …d5 (40% of these games) — Leslie-Smith usually continues d4 (25.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (12 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 10 | 83.3% | 45.0% |
| c6 | 2 | 16.7% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (4 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 4 | 100.0% | 25.0% |
Lance Leslie-Smith's chess games
All 30 games by Lance Leslie-Smith in the Chess.ceo database (May 2017 - Oct 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: 10 wins, 3 draws, 17 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A48 | Indian Defense | 5 | 1/1/3 | 20.0% |
| D05 | Colle System | 3 | 2/0/1 | 66.7% |
| A48 | London System | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| D37 | Queen's Gambit Declined | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| D02 | Queen's Pawn Game | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 3 | 2/1/0 | 66.7% |
| B33 | Sicilian: Sveshnikov | 3 | 0/0/3 | 0.0% |
| B10 | Caro-Kann | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| B30 | Sicilian | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 2 | 2/0/0 | 100.0% |
| E42 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| A00 | Hungarian Opening | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| D04 | Colle System | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| E29 | Nimzo-Indian Defense | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2022 | Stanislav Larski | 2,111 | London Mindsports Blitz | A48 |
| Sep 2024 | Austin Sopocko | 1,787 | 3rd London Menchik Memorial Blitz Open | B13 |
| Mar 2017 | Donald van der Westhuizen | 1,505 | Durban Ethekwini Open | E29 |
| Apr 2017 | Jan du Plessis | 1,440 | ch-RSA U16 | B22 |
| Apr 2017 | Thapelo Morema | 1,402 | ch-RSA U16 | D05 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-RSA U16 | 2017 | 9 | 4 | 1,474 |
| London Mindsports Blitz | 2022 | 8 | 3 | 1,676 |
| 3rd London Menchik Memorial Blitz Open | 2024 | 6 | 2.5 | 1,842 |
| Durban Ethekwini Open | 2017 | 5 | 1 | 1,352 |
| Golders Green FIDE Rapidplay - September 2026 - Open | 2026 | 1 | 0 | 1,340 |
| 2026 Mind Sports Olympiad London Rapid - Blitz (Sun) | 2026 | 1 | 1 | – |
Interactive opening tree from all 30 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Lance Leslie-Smith's chess games?
30 games by Lance Leslie-Smith, from May 2017 to Oct 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 Lance Leslie-Smith has played.
What does Lance Leslie-Smith play on the first move as White?
Across 13 games with White in our database, Lance Leslie-Smith opens with 1.d4 (54% of games), 1.Nf3 (38% of games), 1.e4 (8% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Lance Leslie-Smith answers 1...c5 (83% of games), 1...c6 (17% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (100% of games).
What openings does Lance Leslie-Smith play as White?
As White, Lance Leslie-Smith's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (5 games, 20.0% win rate); Colle System (3 games, 66.7% win rate); London System (2 games, 0.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 13 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Lance Leslie-Smith play as Black?
As Black, Lance Leslie-Smith most often plays: Sicilian: Closed (3 games, 66.7% win rate); Sicilian: Sveshnikov (3 games, 0.0% win rate); Caro-Kann (2 games, 50.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 17 games.
What is Lance Leslie-Smith's FIDE rating?
Lance Leslie-Smith is currently rated 1,785 in classical chess, 1,807 in rapid and 1,846 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 1,785 (Oct 2026).
How many games has Lance Leslie-Smith played?
Our database contains 30 games by Lance Leslie-Smith, covering May 2017 to Oct 2026. Overall record: 10 wins, 3 draws, 17 losses (33.3% win rate).
How do I prepare against Lance Leslie-Smith?
30 games by Lance Leslie-Smith 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.