Prepare against Luke J McShane
GM · United Kingdom · World #137 classical · FIDE ID 404853
When preparing against Luke J McShane, expect 1.e4 in 89% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (46% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (80%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Slav Defense as Black, 17.1% over 41 games.
Our database contains 2,030 games by Luke J McShane, covering Apr 2003 to Oct 2026. Below you'll find Luke J McShane's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Luke J McShane 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 | 2,607 | 2,713 | Dec 2012 |
| Rapid | 2,647 | 2,709 | Dec 2016 |
| Blitz | 2,594 | 2,713 | Jul 2012 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2,030 | 882 | 674 | 474 | 43.4% |
| As White | 1,031 | 511 | 322 | 198 | 49.6% |
| As Black | 999 | 371 | 352 | 276 | 37.1% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Luke J McShane's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Luke J McShane's side.
First moves as White (1,031 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 916 | 88.8% | 65.1% |
| d4 | 59 | 5.7% | 69.5% |
| c4 | 25 | 2.4% | 66.0% |
| Nf3 | 12 | 1.2% | 62.5% |
| b3 | 10 | 1.0% | 65.0% |
| g3 | 8 | 0.8% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 89% of White games, 65.1% score
- …c5 (41% of these games) — McShane usually continues Nf3 (62.5% score)
- …e5 (30% of these games) — McShane usually continues Nf3 (63.1% score)
- …e6 (12% of these games) — McShane usually continues d4 (75.0% score)
- 1.d4 — 6% of White games, 69.5% score
- …Nf6 (69% of these games) — McShane usually continues Bg5 (71.2% score)
- …d5 (22% of these games) — McShane usually continues c4 (66.7% score)
- …e6 (5% of these games) — McShane usually continues e4 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (421 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 193 | 45.8% | 60.4% |
| e5 | 185 | 43.9% | 52.7% |
| g6 | 12 | 2.9% | 37.5% |
| e6 | 11 | 2.6% | 45.5% |
| d6 | 8 | 1.9% | 50.0% |
| c6 | 7 | 1.7% | 28.6% |
As Black against 1.d4 (415 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 333 | 80.2% | 56.6% |
| d5 | 42 | 10.1% | 45.2% |
| b6 | 18 | 4.3% | 63.9% |
| g6 | 11 | 2.7% | 36.4% |
| d6 | 5 | 1.2% | 40.0% |
| e6 | 5 | 1.2% | 30.0% |
Luke J McShane's chess games
All 2,030 games by Luke J McShane in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - 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: 882 wins, 674 draws, 474 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B50 | Sicilian | 178 | 80/58/40 | 44.9% |
| C05 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 93 | 57/24/12 | 61.3% |
| C85 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 65 | 29/21/15 | 44.6% |
| B31 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 53 | 33/10/10 | 62.3% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 50 | 21/12/17 | 42.0% |
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 43 | 17/18/8 | 39.5% |
| B51 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 34 | 12/20/2 | 35.3% |
| B11 | Caro-Kann: Two Knights Variation | 30 | 16/10/4 | 53.3% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 29 | 14/10/5 | 48.3% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 29 | 9/15/5 | 31.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 85 | 24/46/15 | 28.2% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 80 | 35/20/25 | 43.8% |
| B33 | Sicilian: Sveshnikov | 53 | 28/17/8 | 52.8% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 53 | 17/21/15 | 32.1% |
| A48 | King's Indian Defense | 51 | 15/21/15 | 29.4% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 42 | 15/12/15 | 35.7% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 41 | 15/18/8 | 36.6% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 41 | 7/20/14 | 17.1% |
| A16 | English Opening | 34 | 14/13/7 | 41.2% |
| B30 | Sicilian | 34 | 15/7/12 | 44.1% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2012 | Levon Aronian | 2,825 | 7th Moscow Tal Mem | D15 |
| Dec 2010 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,802 | 2nd London Classic | A37 |
| Jun 2012 | Vladimir Kramnik | 2,801 | 7th Moscow Tal Memorial Blitz | B00 |
| Oct 2015 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,796 | Las Vegas Millionaire Open playoff-A | C00 |
| Jun 2012 | Alexander Morozevich | 2,769 | 7th Moscow Tal Mem | D15 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-GBR KO | 2019 | 59 | 30 | 2,660 |
| Kuppenheim Match | 2002 | 52 | 49.5 | 1,682 |
| Kuppenheim Open g/5 | 2003 | 31 | 30 | 2,680 |
| Kilkenny Masters | 1999 | 22 | 15.5 | 2,550 |
| ch-EU blitz | 2017 | 22 | 17.5 | 2,674 |
| Wch Blitz | 2017 | 21 | 10 | 2,535 |
| ACP Blitz Prelim1 | 2004 | 17 | 11 | 2,634 |
| Redbus KO | 2002 | 16 | 10 | 2,615 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Michael Adams (47 games) · Gawain C B Maroroa Jones (29 games) · David W L Howell (21 games) · Nigel D Short (19 games) · Jon S Speelman (16 games) · Hikaru Nakamura (14 games) · Nils Grandelius (13 games) · Aleksandar Indjic (13 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 2,030 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Luke J McShane's chess games?
2,030 games by Luke J McShane, from Apr 2003 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 Luke J McShane has played.
What does Luke J McShane play on the first move as White?
Across 1,031 games with White in our database, Luke J McShane opens with 1.e4 (89% of games), 1.d4 (6% of games), 1.c4 (2% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Luke J McShane answers 1...c5 (46% of games), 1...e5 (44% of games), 1...g6 (3% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (80% of games), 1...d5 (10% of games), 1...b6 (4% of games).
What openings does Luke J McShane play as White?
As White, Luke J McShane's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (178 games, 44.9% win rate); French: Tarrasch Variation (93 games, 61.3% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (65 games, 44.6% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,031 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Luke J McShane play as Black?
As Black, Luke J McShane most often plays: Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense (85 games, 28.2% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (80 games, 43.8% win rate); Sicilian: Sveshnikov (53 games, 52.8% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 999 games.
What is Luke J McShane's FIDE rating?
Luke J McShane is currently rated 2,607 in classical chess, 2,647 in rapid and 2,594 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,713 (Dec 2012).
How many games has Luke J McShane played?
Our database contains 2,030 games by Luke J McShane, covering Apr 2003 to Oct 2026. Overall record: 882 wins, 674 draws, 474 losses (43.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against Luke J McShane?
2,030 games by Luke J McShane 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.