Prepare against Peter J Sowray
FM · United Kingdom · World #13,139 classical · FIDE ID 400971
When preparing against Peter J Sowray, expect 1.d4 in 51% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (33% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (37%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: English Opening as Black, 21.7% over 23 games.
Our database contains 1,257 games by Peter J Sowray, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Peter J Sowray's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Peter J Sowray 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 | 2,127 | 2,384 | Mar 2018 |
| Rapid | 2,107 | 2,369 | Mar 2012 |
| Blitz | 2,101 | 2,341 | May 2022 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,257 | 545 | 336 | 376 | 43.4% |
| As White | 633 | 310 | 157 | 166 | 49.0% |
| As Black | 624 | 235 | 179 | 210 | 37.7% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Peter J Sowray's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Peter J Sowray's side.
First moves as White (633 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 320 | 50.6% | 63.7% |
| e4 | 183 | 28.9% | 58.2% |
| c4 | 73 | 11.5% | 63.0% |
| Nf3 | 52 | 8.2% | 55.8% |
| g3 | 2 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
| f4 | 2 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 51% of White games, 63.7% score
- …Nf6 (63% of these games) — Sowray usually continues c4 (63.6% score)
- …d5 (19% of these games) — Sowray usually continues c4 (60.6% score)
- …f5 (6% of these games) — Sowray usually continues c4 (75.0% score)
- 1.e4 — 29% of White games, 58.2% score
- …c5 (45% of these games) — Sowray usually continues Nf3 (53.2% score)
- …e6 (21% of these games) — Sowray usually continues d4 (61.8% score)
- …e5 (13% of these games) — Sowray usually continues Nf3 (47.2% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (283 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 94 | 33.2% | 59.6% |
| e5 | 77 | 27.2% | 62.3% |
| e6 | 33 | 11.7% | 48.5% |
| d6 | 25 | 8.8% | 54.0% |
| g6 | 22 | 7.8% | 38.6% |
| c6 | 20 | 7.1% | 35.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (211 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 78 | 37.0% | 49.4% |
| d5 | 70 | 33.2% | 50.0% |
| f5 | 20 | 9.5% | 50.0% |
| e6 | 18 | 8.5% | 44.4% |
| g6 | 14 | 6.6% | 42.9% |
| d6 | 11 | 5.2% | 50.0% |
Peter J Sowray's chess games
All 1,257 games by Peter J Sowray 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: 545 wins, 336 draws, 376 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E46 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 68 | 32/23/13 | 47.1% |
| A30 | English Opening | 32 | 14/10/8 | 43.8% |
| A65 | King's Indian: Sämisch | 31 | 20/3/8 | 64.5% |
| D36 | Indian Defense | 28 | 11/9/8 | 39.3% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 27 | 16/7/4 | 59.3% |
| D17 | Slav Defense | 26 | 12/6/8 | 46.2% |
| A80 | Dutch Defense | 24 | 13/3/8 | 54.2% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 23 | 10/4/9 | 43.5% |
| B43 | Sicilian | 22 | 10/6/6 | 45.5% |
| D97 | Grünfeld Defense | 20 | 9/6/5 | 45.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B06 | Modern Defense | 49 | 16/15/18 | 32.7% |
| B28 | Sicilian | 35 | 17/5/13 | 48.6% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 35 | 10/12/13 | 28.6% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 25 | 9/9/7 | 36.0% |
| E04 | Catalan | 23 | 7/4/12 | 30.4% |
| A13 | English Opening | 23 | 5/10/8 | 21.7% |
| C95 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 22 | 10/7/5 | 45.5% |
| A80 | Dutch Defense | 21 | 9/2/10 | 42.9% |
| A09 | Réti Opening | 20 | 5/4/11 | 25.0% |
| D91 | Grünfeld Defense | 16 | 8/2/6 | 50.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2014 | Julio E Granda Zuniga | 2,663 | 16th Barcelona Sants Open | E42 |
| Apr 2019 | Alexandr Fier | 2,570 | Reykjavik Open | A16 |
| Oct 2005 | Daniel W Gormally | 2,566 | chT-BCF 0506 (4NCL) | B22 |
| Aug 2014 | Cristhian Cruz | 2,553 | 16th Barcelona Sants Open | E32 |
| Mar 1998 | Anthony C. Kosten | 2,535 | chT-BCF 9798 (4NCL) | A36 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dieren Open | 2014 | 36 | 20 | 2,289 |
| Hoogovens-B | 1985 | 20 | 5.5 | 2,228 |
| Arctic Chess Challenge | 2010 | 18 | 10 | 2,296 |
| London Phillips&Drew Knights | 1982 | 15 | 8 | 2,376 |
| Coulsdon Easter | 2009 | 13 | 6 | 2,359 |
| chT-BCF 9697 (4NCL) | 1997 | 12 | 7 | 2,339 |
| chT-BCF 2122 (4NCL) | 2022 | 11 | 8.5 | 2,432 |
| 4NCL 2024-25 | 2025 | 11 | 6 | 2,289 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Daniel W Gormally (13 games) · Ian L Snape (11 games) · Keith C Arkell (10 games) · Mark L Hebden (10 games) · Peter K Wells (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,257 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Peter J Sowray's chess games?
1,257 games by Peter J Sowray, 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 Peter J Sowray has played.
What does Peter J Sowray play on the first move as White?
Across 633 games with White in our database, Peter J Sowray opens with 1.d4 (51% of games), 1.e4 (29% of games), 1.c4 (12% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Peter J Sowray answers 1...c5 (33% of games), 1...e5 (27% of games), 1...e6 (12% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (37% of games), 1...d5 (33% of games), 1...f5 (9% of games).
What openings does Peter J Sowray play as White?
As White, Peter J Sowray's most-played openings in our database are: Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System (68 games, 47.1% win rate); English Opening (32 games, 43.8% win rate); King's Indian: Sämisch (31 games, 64.5% win rate). The full breakdown of 633 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Peter J Sowray play as Black?
As Black, Peter J Sowray most often plays: Modern Defense (49 games, 32.7% win rate); Sicilian (35 games, 48.6% win rate); Indian Defense (35 games, 28.6% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 624 games.
What is Peter J Sowray's FIDE rating?
Peter J Sowray is currently rated 2,127 in classical chess, 2,107 in rapid and 2,101 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,384 (Mar 2018).
How many games has Peter J Sowray played?
Our database contains 1,257 games by Peter J Sowray, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 545 wins, 336 draws, 376 losses (43.4% win rate).
How do I prepare against Peter J Sowray?
1,257 games by Peter J Sowray 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.