Prepare against Michael Adams
GM · United Kingdom · World #150 classical · FIDE ID 400041
When preparing against Michael Adams, expect 1.e4 in 91% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (80% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (90%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Ruy Lopez: Closed as Black, 20.8% over 250 games.
Our database contains 3,920 games by Michael Adams, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Michael Adams's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Michael Adams 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 | 2,598 | 2,761 | Apr 2017 |
| Rapid | 2,614 | 2,764 | Dec 2014 |
| Blitz | 2,695 | 2,796 | Oct 2019 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3,920 | 1,554 | 1,818 | 548 | 39.6% |
| As White | 1,990 | 954 | 826 | 210 | 47.9% |
| As Black | 1,930 | 600 | 992 | 338 | 31.1% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Michael Adams's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Michael Adams's side.
First moves as White (1,990 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 1,813 | 91.1% | 68.6% |
| d4 | 115 | 5.8% | 69.1% |
| c4 | 52 | 2.6% | 72.1% |
| Nf3 | 4 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
| b3 | 4 | 0.2% | 62.5% |
| g3 | 2 | 0.1% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 91% of White games, 68.6% score
- …c5 (43% of these games) — Adams usually continues Nf3 (67.2% score)
- …e5 (30% of these games) — Adams usually continues Nf3 (65.7% score)
- …e6 (12% of these games) — Adams usually continues d4 (76.4% score)
- 1.d4 — 6% of White games, 69.1% score
- …Nf6 (55% of these games) — Adams usually continues Bg5 (58.7% score)
- …d5 (34% of these games) — Adams usually continues Bg5 (77.5% score)
- …e6 (4% of these games) — Adams usually continues e4 (100.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (810 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 649 | 80.1% | 55.1% |
| c6 | 94 | 11.6% | 54.8% |
| e6 | 23 | 2.8% | 67.4% |
| c5 | 18 | 2.2% | 55.6% |
| Nf6 | 9 | 1.1% | 61.1% |
| d6 | 9 | 1.1% | 83.3% |
As Black against 1.d4 (773 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 695 | 89.9% | 57.1% |
| d6 | 47 | 6.1% | 45.7% |
| d5 | 16 | 2.1% | 59.4% |
| e6 | 15 | 1.9% | 63.3% |
Michael Adams's chess games
All 3,920 games by Michael Adams in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Sep 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: 1,554 wins, 1,818 draws, 548 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B50 | Sicilian | 220 | 105/91/24 | 47.7% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 176 | 77/81/18 | 43.8% |
| C07 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 171 | 106/52/13 | 62.0% |
| C88 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 155 | 69/63/23 | 44.5% |
| B30 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 88 | 41/35/12 | 46.6% |
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 85 | 30/47/8 | 35.3% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 77 | 32/34/11 | 41.6% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 69 | 26/34/9 | 37.7% |
| B26 | Sicilian: Closed | 63 | 28/28/7 | 44.4% |
| B47 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 57 | 24/30/3 | 42.1% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C88 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 250 | 52/148/50 | 20.8% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 183 | 56/97/30 | 30.6% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 167 | 46/100/21 | 27.5% |
| E04 | Catalan | 121 | 32/69/20 | 26.4% |
| A30 | English Opening | 93 | 21/53/19 | 22.6% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 76 | 34/27/15 | 44.7% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 70 | 15/41/14 | 21.4% |
| E46 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 63 | 22/34/7 | 34.9% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 62 | 29/27/6 | 46.8% |
| C54 | Italian Game | 44 | 16/20/8 | 36.4% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2014 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,829 | 6th London Classic | C90 |
| Sep 2010 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,826 | Olympiad-39 | B06 |
| Jan 1993 | Garry Kasparov | 2,805 | London rapid m1 | A45 |
| Jan 2006 | Veselin Topalov | 2,801 | Corus | B85 |
| Feb 2015 | Viswanathan Anand | 2,797 | Grenke Chess Classic 3rd | E05 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corus | 2009 | 104 | 57 | 2,748 |
| FIDE-Wch k.o. | 2004 | 94 | 58 | 2,741 |
| FIDE World Cup | 2025 | 65 | 34.5 | 2,640 |
| Hoogovens | 1998 | 52 | 28.5 | 2,654 |
| chT-FRA | 2001 | 46 | 35.5 | 2,658 |
| ch-BCF | 2024 | 42 | 27.5 | 2,544 |
| ch-GBR KO | 2019 | 40 | 23.5 | 2,704 |
| 2nd Wch Blitz | 2007 | 38 | 18.5 | 2,698 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Viswanathan Anand (93 games) · Peter Leko (59 games) · Boris Gelfand (53 games) · Alexei Shirov (51 games) · Luke J McShane (47 games) · Loek Van Wely (47 games) · Veselin Topalov (45 games) · Nigel D Short (34 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 3,920 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Michael Adams's chess games?
3,920 games by Michael Adams, from Apr 2003 to Sep 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 Michael Adams has played.
What does Michael Adams play on the first move as White?
Across 1,990 games with White in our database, Michael Adams opens with 1.e4 (91% of games), 1.d4 (6% of games), 1.c4 (3% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Michael Adams answers 1...e5 (80% of games), 1...c6 (12% of games), 1...e6 (3% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (90% of games), 1...d6 (6% of games), 1...d5 (2% of games).
What openings does Michael Adams play as White?
As White, Michael Adams's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (220 games, 47.7% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (176 games, 43.8% win rate); French: Tarrasch Variation (171 games, 62.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,990 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Michael Adams play as Black?
As Black, Michael Adams most often plays: Ruy Lopez: Closed (250 games, 20.8% win rate); Queen's Indian Defense (183 games, 30.6% win rate); Indian Defense (167 games, 27.5% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,930 games.
What is Michael Adams's FIDE rating?
Michael Adams is currently rated 2,598 in classical chess, 2,614 in rapid and 2,695 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,761 (Apr 2017).
How many games has Michael Adams played?
Our database contains 3,920 games by Michael Adams, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 1,554 wins, 1,818 draws, 548 losses (39.6% win rate).
How do I prepare against Michael Adams?
3,920 games by Michael Adams 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.