Prepare against Niall P. Whelan
Ireland · World #145,816 classical · FIDE ID 2500809
When preparing against Niall P. Whelan, expect 1.e4 in 53% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e5 (55% of games); against 1.d4, 1...d5 (67%).
Our database contains 30 games by Niall P. Whelan, covering May 2016 to Oct 2026. Below you'll find Niall P. Whelan's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Niall P. Whelan 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 | 1,606 | 1,649 | Nov 2016 |
| Blitz | 1,697 | 1,720 | Oct 2024 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 30 | 7 | 2 | 21 | 23.3% |
| As White | 15 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 26.7% |
| As Black | 15 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 20.0% |
FIDE rated record
From FIDE's official rated-game ledger (2007-2026): 317 rated games against 264 different opponents, across 75 events in 4 countries. These counts cover FIDE-rated play only, so they differ from the database totals above.
By time control
| Format | Games | W | D | L | Win rate | Avg opp | Perf | Unbeaten |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classical | 290 | 87 | 50 | 153 | 30.0% | 1,651 | 1,505 | 7 |
| Blitz | 27 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 37.0% | 1,524 | 1,384 | 4 |
Against the field
| Opposition | Games | W | D | L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Against higher-rated | 94 | 10 | 11 | 73 | 10.6% |
| Against lower-rated | 55 | 28 | 10 | 17 | 50.9% |
Tournament wins
1 tournament win from 41 events, 1 of them outright.
Year by year
| Year | Games | W | D | L | Avg opp | Perf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 18 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 1,678 | 1,585 |
| 2025 | 45 | 11 | 10 | 24 | 1,744 | 1,618 |
| 2024 | 38 | 8 | 9 | 21 | 1,719 | 1,502 |
| 2023 | 32 | 9 | 4 | 19 | 1,617 | 1,417 |
| 2022 | 26 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 1,657 | 1,486 |
| 2021 | 21 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 1,308 | 1,208 |
| 2020 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | – | – |
| 2019 | 43 | 14 | 8 | 21 | 1,589 | 1,489 |
| 2018 | 41 | 17 | 8 | 16 | 1,611 | 1,554 |
| 2017 | 23 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 1,650 | 1,450 |
| 2016 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 8 | – | – |
| 2015 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | – |
| 2007 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2,169 | 1,769 |
Where Niall P. Whelan has played
Ireland (66) · Spain (7) · Norway (1) · Türkiye (1)
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Niall P. Whelan's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Niall P. Whelan's side.
First moves as White (15 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 8 | 53.3% | 43.8% |
| c4 | 4 | 26.7% | 37.5% |
| d4 | 3 | 20.0% | 0.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 53% of White games, 43.8% score
- …c5 (50% of these games) — Whelan usually continues Nf3 (37.5% score)
- …Nf6 (13% of these games) — Whelan usually continues e5 (0.0% score)
- …e5 (13% of these games) — Whelan usually continues Nf3 (100.0% score)
- 1.c4 — 27% of White games, 37.5% score
- …c5 (50% of these games) — Whelan usually continues g3 (50.0% score)
- …Nf6 (25% of these games) — Whelan usually continues Nc3 (50.0% score)
- …g6 (25% of these games) — Whelan usually continues Nc3 (0.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (11 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 6 | 54.5% | 0.0% |
| c5 | 4 | 36.4% | 25.0% |
| d5 | 1 | 9.1% | 0.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (3 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 2 | 66.7% | 50.0% |
| Nf6 | 1 | 33.3% | 0.0% |
Niall P. Whelan's chess games
All 30 games by Niall P. Whelan in the Chess.ceo database (May 2016 - 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: 7 wins, 2 draws, 21 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B40 | Sicilian | 3 | 0/1/2 | 0.0% |
| B36 | Benoni Defense | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| A30 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| D30 | Indian Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| Italian Game | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% | |
| A42 | Modern Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| C01 | Owen Defense | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| B02 | Alekhine Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| B27 | Sicilian: Hyperaccelerated Dragon | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| E32 | English Opening | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C44 | Scotch Game | 5 | 0/0/5 | 0.0% |
| B28 | Sicilian | 3 | 1/0/2 | 33.3% |
| D20 | Queen's Gambit Accepted | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| C68 | Ruy Lopez | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| B01 | Scandinavian Defense: Main Line | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| B45 | Sicilian: Four Knights | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| E76 | King's Indian Defense: Four Pawns Attack | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| Vienna Game | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% | |
| D02 | London System | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2019 | Kevin Fitzpatrick | 1,427 | Dublin Irish Open | C01 |
| Apr 2019 | Peter Doyle | 1,420 | Dublin Irish Open | B27 |
| Aug 2021 | Diana Bueckert | 1,305 | ch-Dublin Final Weekender 100th | A36 |
| Apr 2019 | Eric Wang | 1,268 | Dublin Irish Open | B43 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin Irish Open | 2019 | 8 | 3 | 1,509 |
| ch-Dublin Final Weekender 100th | 2021 | 5 | 1.5 | 1,214 |
| 23rd EU-Cup | 2007 | 4 | 0 | 1,768 |
| Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP 2026 | 2026 | 4 | 0 | 1,265 |
| Power Solutions Arctic Chess NGP 2026 | B | 2026 | 4 | 2 | 1,634 |
| IRL-ch Weekender Open | 2018 | 3 | 0.5 | 1,679 |
| ch-IRL First Weekend Major | 2018 | 1 | 0 | 1,546 |
| ch-IRL Seniors 50/65 | 2021 | 1 | 1 | – |
Interactive opening tree from all 30 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Niall P. Whelan's chess games?
30 games by Niall P. Whelan, from May 2016 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 Niall P. Whelan has played.
What does Niall P. Whelan play on the first move as White?
Across 15 games with White in our database, Niall P. Whelan opens with 1.e4 (53% of games), 1.c4 (27% of games), 1.d4 (20% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Niall P. Whelan answers 1...e5 (55% of games), 1...c5 (36% of games), 1...d5 (9% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (67% of games), 1...Nf6 (33% of games).
What openings does Niall P. Whelan play as White?
As White, Niall P. Whelan's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (3 games, 0.0% win rate); Benoni Defense (2 games, 0.0% win rate); English Opening: Symmetrical (2 games, 50.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 15 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Niall P. Whelan play as Black?
As Black, Niall P. Whelan most often plays: Scotch Game (5 games, 0.0% win rate); Sicilian (3 games, 33.3% win rate); Queen's Gambit Accepted (1 games, 0.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 15 games.
What is Niall P. Whelan's FIDE rating?
Niall P. Whelan is currently rated 1,606 in classical chess and 1,697 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 1,649 (Nov 2016).
How many games has Niall P. Whelan played?
Our database contains 30 games by Niall P. Whelan, covering May 2016 to Oct 2026. Overall record: 7 wins, 2 draws, 21 losses (23.3% win rate).
How do I prepare against Niall P. Whelan?
30 games by Niall P. Whelan 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.