Prepare against Malcolm Pein
IM · United Kingdom · World #6,153 classical · FIDE ID 400289
When preparing against Malcolm Pein, expect 1.d4 in 63% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (37% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (80%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: English Opening as Black, 10.5% over 19 games.
Our database contains 863 games by Malcolm Pein, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Malcolm Pein's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Malcolm Pein 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 | 2,243 | 2,425 | Apr 2003 |
| Rapid | 2,288 | 2,391 | Jun 2013 |
| Blitz | 2,144 | 2,349 | Dec 2017 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 863 | 333 | 257 | 273 | 38.6% |
| As White | 435 | 189 | 130 | 116 | 43.4% |
| As Black | 428 | 144 | 127 | 157 | 33.6% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Malcolm Pein's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Malcolm Pein's side.
First moves as White (435 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 273 | 62.8% | 59.5% |
| Nf3 | 124 | 28.5% | 60.1% |
| e4 | 24 | 5.5% | 47.9% |
| c4 | 12 | 2.8% | 37.5% |
| b3 | 2 | 0.5% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 63% of White games, 59.5% score
- …Nf6 (58% of these games) — Pein usually continues c4 (57.1% score)
- …d5 (18% of these games) — Pein usually continues c4 (58.8% score)
- …e6 (10% of these games) — Pein usually continues e4 (55.9% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 29% of White games, 60.1% score
- …Nf6 (53% of these games) — Pein usually continues c4 (61.6% score)
- …d5 (23% of these games) — Pein usually continues c4 (45.2% score)
- …c5 (13% of these games) — Pein usually continues c4 (73.1% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (191 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 71 | 37.2% | 50.0% |
| d6 | 70 | 36.6% | 46.4% |
| c5 | 25 | 13.1% | 62.0% |
| e6 | 16 | 8.4% | 59.4% |
| g6 | 7 | 3.7% | 71.4% |
| d5 | 1 | 0.5% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (147 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 117 | 79.6% | 50.9% |
| d6 | 11 | 7.5% | 45.5% |
| g6 | 6 | 4.1% | 25.0% |
| c5 | 5 | 3.4% | 70.0% |
| d5 | 4 | 2.7% | 12.5% |
| e6 | 2 | 1.4% | 0.0% |
Malcolm Pein's chess games
All 863 games by Malcolm Pein in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Aug 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: 333 wins, 257 draws, 273 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 41 | 21/13/7 | 51.2% |
| A16 | English Opening | 31 | 15/8/8 | 48.4% |
| E97 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 27 | 15/6/6 | 55.6% |
| D45 | Slav Defense | 27 | 16/6/5 | 59.3% |
| E49 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 26 | 10/9/7 | 38.5% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 23 | 10/7/6 | 43.5% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 22 | 10/4/8 | 45.5% |
| D07 | Queen's Pawn Game | 15 | 7/5/3 | 46.7% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 15 | 4/8/3 | 26.7% |
| A30 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 14 | 8/3/3 | 57.1% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 69 | 23/17/29 | 33.3% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 37 | 14/12/11 | 37.8% |
| A43 | Benoni Defense | 28 | 11/11/6 | 39.3% |
| C88 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 27 | 10/6/11 | 37.0% |
| B07 | Modern Defense | 20 | 8/7/5 | 40.0% |
| A16 | English Opening | 19 | 2/7/10 | 10.5% |
| A48 | Indian Defense | 17 | 4/6/7 | 23.5% |
| A25 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 13 | 1/5/7 | 7.7% |
| A34 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 13 | 5/2/6 | 38.5% |
| A05 | Sicilian | 11 | 6/3/2 | 54.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1997 | Jon S Speelman | 2,630 | 84th ch-BCF | C10 |
| Jan 1994 | Lev Psakhis | 2,605 | Peer Gynt | A17 |
| Apr 1999 | John M Emms | 2,573 | Redbus KO | B40 |
| Jan 1995 | David R Norwood | 2,545 | Bermuda-A | A48 |
| Jan 1989 | Yehuda Gruenfeld | 2,535 | Tel Aviv B | E66 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2024 | 86 | 31 | 2,086 |
| ch-BCF | 2024 | 30 | 17 | 2,404 |
| Tel Aviv B | 1992 | 22 | 13.5 | 2,501 |
| Haringey | 1989 | 18 | 10.5 | 2,470 |
| Perenyi Memorial B | 1989 | 11 | 4 | 2,312 |
| Israel1 | 1988 | 11 | 8 | 2,537 |
| British CF-67 Championship | 1980 | 11 | 5 | 2,300 |
| Helsinki | 1990 | 11 | 6 | 2,441 |
Interactive opening tree from all 863 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Malcolm Pein's chess games?
863 games by Malcolm Pein, from Apr 2003 to Aug 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 Malcolm Pein has played.
What does Malcolm Pein play on the first move as White?
Across 435 games with White in our database, Malcolm Pein opens with 1.d4 (63% of games), 1.Nf3 (29% of games), 1.e4 (6% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Malcolm Pein answers 1...e5 (37% of games), 1...d6 (37% of games), 1...c5 (13% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (80% of games), 1...d6 (7% of games), 1...g6 (4% of games).
What openings does Malcolm Pein play as White?
As White, Malcolm Pein's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (41 games, 51.2% win rate); English Opening (31 games, 48.4% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (27 games, 55.6% win rate). The full breakdown of 435 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Malcolm Pein play as Black?
As Black, Malcolm Pein most often plays: Pirc Defense (69 games, 33.3% win rate); Grünfeld Defense (37 games, 37.8% win rate); Benoni Defense (28 games, 39.3% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 428 games.
What is Malcolm Pein's FIDE rating?
Malcolm Pein is currently rated 2,243 in classical chess, 2,288 in rapid and 2,144 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,425 (Apr 2003).
How many games has Malcolm Pein played?
Our database contains 863 games by Malcolm Pein, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 333 wins, 257 draws, 273 losses (38.6% win rate).
How do I prepare against Malcolm Pein?
863 games by Malcolm Pein 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.