Prepare against Mel O'Cinneide
Ireland · World #15,042 classical · FIDE ID 2500620
When preparing against Mel O'Cinneide, expect 1.c4 in 76% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...d5 (44% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (63%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: English Opening: Symmetrical as White, 29.4% over 17 games.
Our database contains 265 games by Mel O'Cinneide, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Mel O'Cinneide's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Mel O'Cinneide 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 | 2,105 | 2,268 | Oct 2004 |
| Rapid | 2,081 | 2,167 | Aug 2023 |
| Blitz | 2,135 | 2,230 | Aug 2012 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 265 | 93 | 62 | 110 | 35.1% |
| As White | 135 | 54 | 31 | 50 | 40.0% |
| As Black | 130 | 39 | 31 | 60 | 30.0% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Mel O'Cinneide's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Mel O'Cinneide's side.
First moves as White (135 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c4 | 102 | 75.6% | 55.4% |
| Nf3 | 28 | 20.7% | 41.1% |
| d4 | 5 | 3.7% | 30.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.c4 — 76% of White games, 55.4% score
- …Nf6 (28% of these games) — O'Cinneide usually continues Nc3 (65.9% score)
- …e5 (23% of these games) — O'Cinneide usually continues Nc3 (47.2% score)
- …e6 (18% of these games) — O'Cinneide usually continues Nf3 (55.6% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 21% of White games, 41.1% score
- …Nf6 (50% of these games) — O'Cinneide usually continues c4 (46.4% score)
- …d5 (21% of these games) — O'Cinneide usually continues c4 (0.0% score)
- …c5 (7% of these games) — O'Cinneide usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (59 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 26 | 44.1% | 55.8% |
| e6 | 21 | 35.6% | 23.8% |
| c6 | 7 | 11.9% | 35.7% |
| c5 | 5 | 8.5% | 60.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (46 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 29 | 63.0% | 36.2% |
| d5 | 14 | 30.4% | 53.6% |
| e6 | 3 | 6.5% | 0.0% |
Mel O'Cinneide's chess games
All 265 games by Mel O'Cinneide 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: 93 wins, 62 draws, 110 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A13 | English Opening | 32 | 13/7/12 | 40.6% |
| A28 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 29 | 12/5/12 | 41.4% |
| A36 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 17 | 5/7/5 | 29.4% |
| A10 | English Opening: Dutch Defense | 7 | 4/1/2 | 57.1% |
| A14 | English Opening: Neo-Catalan | 6 | 2/1/3 | 33.3% |
| A21 | Modern Defense | 6 | 1/3/2 | 16.7% |
| E97 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 6 | 5/0/1 | 83.3% |
| D34 | Catalan | 5 | 1/2/2 | 20.0% |
| A89 | Dutch Defense | 4 | 1/1/2 | 25.0% |
| A18 | English Opening: Mikenas Variation | 4 | 4/0/0 | 100.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B01 | Scandinavian Defense: Main Line | 25 | 10/7/8 | 40.0% |
| E11 | Bogo-Indian Defense | 9 | 3/0/6 | 33.3% |
| D20 | Queen's Gambit Accepted | 8 | 1/4/3 | 12.5% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 7 | 0/1/6 | 0.0% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 7 | 3/1/3 | 42.9% |
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 7 | 2/1/4 | 28.6% |
| E48 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 7 | 1/1/5 | 14.3% |
| D27 | Queen's Pawn Game | 6 | 3/2/1 | 50.0% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 4 | 0/0/4 | 0.0% |
| A35 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 4 | 0/2/2 | 0.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1995 | John Donaldson | 2,420 | Dublin | E69 |
| May 1997 | Alfred Felsberger | 2,395 | 11th chT-EU | D34 |
| Nov 1999 | Mark Quinn | 2,377 | Kilkenny Masters | E21 |
| Jan 1994 | Mark J L Orr | 2,370 | ch-IRL | A13 |
| Feb 2004 | Masha Klinova | 2,366 | 12th Aosta Open | E97 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-IRL | 2014 | 66 | 39 | 2,264 |
| Bunratty Masters Open | 2000 | 20 | 11.5 | 2,356 |
| Kilkenny Masters | 2025 | 18 | 9.5 | 2,345 |
| World U20-ch23 | 1984 | 13 | 5.5 | 2,220 |
| Olympiad-31 | 1994 | 11 | 5 | 2,344 |
| Dublin zt | 1993 | 11 | 5 | 2,297 |
| PRO League Stage | 2017 | 10 | 2 | 2,141 |
| Dublin | 1995 | 9 | 4 | 2,279 |
Interactive opening tree from all 265 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Mel O'Cinneide's chess games?
265 games by Mel O'Cinneide, 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 Mel O'Cinneide has played.
What does Mel O'Cinneide play on the first move as White?
Across 135 games with White in our database, Mel O'Cinneide opens with 1.c4 (76% of games), 1.Nf3 (21% of games), 1.d4 (4% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Mel O'Cinneide answers 1...d5 (44% of games), 1...e6 (36% of games), 1...c6 (12% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (63% of games), 1...d5 (30% of games), 1...e6 (7% of games).
What openings does Mel O'Cinneide play as White?
As White, Mel O'Cinneide's most-played openings in our database are: English Opening (32 games, 40.6% win rate); English Opening: Reverse Sicilian (29 games, 41.4% win rate); English Opening: Symmetrical (17 games, 29.4% win rate). The full breakdown of 135 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Mel O'Cinneide play as Black?
As Black, Mel O'Cinneide most often plays: Scandinavian Defense: Main Line (25 games, 40.0% win rate); Bogo-Indian Defense (9 games, 33.3% win rate); Queen's Gambit Accepted (8 games, 12.5% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 130 games.
What is Mel O'Cinneide's FIDE rating?
Mel O'Cinneide is currently rated 2,105 in classical chess, 2,081 in rapid and 2,135 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,268 (Oct 2004).
How many games has Mel O'Cinneide played?
Our database contains 265 games by Mel O'Cinneide, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 93 wins, 62 draws, 110 losses (35.1% win rate).
How do I prepare against Mel O'Cinneide?
265 games by Mel O'Cinneide 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.