Prepare against Nigel D Short
GM · United Kingdom · World #176 classical · FIDE ID 400025
When preparing against Nigel D Short, expect 1.e4 in 86% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e6 (41% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (53%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Ruy Lopez: Closed as Black, 21.6% over 88 games.
Our database contains 3,579 games by Nigel D Short, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Nigel D Short's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Nigel D Short 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 | 2,594 | 2,712 | Apr 2004 |
| Rapid | 2,551 | 2,744 | Apr 2017 |
| Blitz | 2,516 | 2,697 | Mar 2013 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3,579 | 1,524 | 1,384 | 671 | 42.6% |
| As White | 1,895 | 963 | 666 | 266 | 50.8% |
| As Black | 1,684 | 561 | 718 | 405 | 33.3% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Nigel D Short's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Nigel D Short's side.
First moves as White (1,895 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 1,631 | 86.1% | 67.5% |
| d4 | 132 | 7.0% | 74.2% |
| c4 | 84 | 4.4% | 75.0% |
| Nf3 | 28 | 1.5% | 78.6% |
| b3 | 10 | 0.5% | 55.0% |
| g3 | 7 | 0.4% | 71.4% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 86% of White games, 67.5% score
- …c5 (44% of these games) — Short usually continues Nf3 (65.5% score)
- …e5 (28% of these games) — Short usually continues Nf3 (67.7% score)
- …e6 (12% of these games) — Short usually continues d4 (70.3% score)
- 1.d4 — 7% of White games, 74.2% score
- …Nf6 (70% of these games) — Short usually continues c4 (72.9% score)
- …d5 (24% of these games) — Short usually continues c4 (77.8% score)
- …e6 (3% of these games) — Short usually continues e4 (0.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (665 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 271 | 40.8% | 54.6% |
| e5 | 254 | 38.2% | 50.4% |
| c5 | 70 | 10.5% | 60.0% |
| c6 | 24 | 3.6% | 50.0% |
| Nf6 | 16 | 2.4% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 14 | 2.1% | 71.4% |
As Black against 1.d4 (709 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 377 | 53.2% | 53.1% |
| e6 | 244 | 34.4% | 59.2% |
| d5 | 63 | 8.9% | 47.6% |
| Nc6 | 15 | 2.1% | 60.0% |
| f5 | 3 | 0.4% | 33.3% |
| c5 | 3 | 0.4% | 16.7% |
Nigel D Short's chess games
All 3,579 games by Nigel D Short 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: 1,524 wins, 1,384 draws, 671 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B40 | Sicilian | 222 | 108/79/35 | 48.6% |
| B92 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 163 | 69/62/32 | 42.3% |
| C90 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 122 | 53/54/15 | 43.4% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 96 | 43/37/16 | 44.8% |
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 76 | 43/23/10 | 56.6% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 65 | 30/29/6 | 46.2% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 58 | 31/19/8 | 53.4% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 57 | 29/23/5 | 50.9% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 47 | 29/14/4 | 61.7% |
| C78 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 45 | 25/16/4 | 55.6% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 207 | 52/111/44 | 25.1% |
| C06 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 109 | 38/43/28 | 34.9% |
| C92 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 88 | 19/41/28 | 21.6% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 82 | 19/43/20 | 23.2% |
| A90 | Horwitz Defense | 75 | 27/29/19 | 36.0% |
| E05 | Catalan | 67 | 20/30/17 | 29.9% |
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 60 | 21/23/16 | 35.0% |
| A25 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 56 | 21/17/18 | 37.5% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 55 | 18/25/12 | 32.7% |
| A40 | English Defense | 54 | 28/16/10 | 51.9% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2017 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,827 | 15th Gibraltar Masters | B11 |
| Apr 2015 | Garry Kasparov | 2,812 | Saint Louis Legends Blitz Match | B08 |
| Apr 1996 | Vladimir Kramnik | 2,775 | Moscow PCA-GP Kremlin Stars | D16 |
| May 2007 | Alexander Morozevich | 2,762 | 37th Sarajevo Bosnia-A | C45 |
| Jan 1989 | Anatoly Karpov | 2,750 | 07th Linares | C90 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Simul | 2014 | 71 | 56.5 | 2,025 |
| World Cup | 1989 | 61 | 32.5 | 2,646 |
| Hoogovens | 1997 | 60 | 36.5 | 2,662 |
| Amsterdam Euwe Memorial | 1996 | 42 | 24.5 | 2,723 |
| Tilburg | 1991 | 42 | 24.5 | 2,711 |
| Corus | 2010 | 39 | 16 | 2,642 |
| FIDE-Wch k.o. | 2004 | 39 | 22.5 | 2,668 |
| FIDE World Rapid Team | 2026 | 36 | 21 | 2,541 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Jon S Speelman (40 games) · Vasyl Ivanchuk (39 games) · Michael Adams (34 games) · Johann Hjartarson (30 games) · Viswanathan Anand (27 games) · Ivan Sokolov (25 games) · Boris Gelfand (24 games) · Ehsan Ghaem Maghami (22 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 3,579 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Nigel D Short's chess games?
3,579 games by Nigel D Short, 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 Nigel D Short has played.
What does Nigel D Short play on the first move as White?
Across 1,895 games with White in our database, Nigel D Short opens with 1.e4 (86% of games), 1.d4 (7% of games), 1.c4 (4% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Nigel D Short answers 1...e6 (41% of games), 1...e5 (38% of games), 1...c5 (11% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (53% of games), 1...e6 (34% of games), 1...d5 (9% of games).
What openings does Nigel D Short play as White?
As White, Nigel D Short's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (222 games, 48.6% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (163 games, 42.3% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (122 games, 43.4% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,895 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Nigel D Short play as Black?
As Black, Nigel D Short most often plays: Indian Defense (207 games, 25.1% win rate); French: Tarrasch Variation (109 games, 34.9% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Closed (88 games, 21.6% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,684 games.
What is Nigel D Short's FIDE rating?
Nigel D Short is currently rated 2,594 in classical chess, 2,551 in rapid and 2,516 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,712 (Apr 2004).
How many games has Nigel D Short played?
Our database contains 3,579 games by Nigel D Short, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 1,524 wins, 1,384 draws, 671 losses (42.6% win rate).
How do I prepare against Nigel D Short?
3,579 games by Nigel D Short 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.