Prepare against Ray Robson
GM · United States · World #55 classical · FIDE ID 2023970
When preparing against Ray Robson, expect 1.e4 in 75% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (60% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (62%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: English Opening as Black, 16.2% over 37 games.
Our database contains 1,765 games by Ray Robson, covering Jan 2005 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Ray Robson's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Ray Robson 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 | 2,659 | 2,704 | May 2023 |
| Rapid | 2,639 | 2,652 | Dec 2025 |
| Blitz | 2,622 | 2,683 | May 2022 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,765 | 752 | 582 | 430 | 42.6% |
| As White | 891 | 424 | 269 | 198 | 47.6% |
| As Black | 874 | 328 | 313 | 232 | 37.5% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Ray Robson's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Ray Robson's side.
First moves as White (891 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 665 | 74.6% | 62.6% |
| d4 | 168 | 18.9% | 62.8% |
| c4 | 46 | 5.2% | 65.2% |
| Nf3 | 12 | 1.3% | 54.2% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 75% of White games, 62.6% score
- …e5 (36% of these games) — Robson usually continues Nf3 (59.0% score)
- …c5 (36% of these games) — Robson usually continues Nf3 (65.7% score)
- …e6 (12% of these games) — Robson usually continues d4 (64.6% score)
- 1.d4 — 19% of White games, 62.8% score
- …Nf6 (58% of these games) — Robson usually continues c4 (60.9% score)
- …d5 (33% of these games) — Robson usually continues c4 (65.7% score)
- …e6 (4% of these games) — Robson usually continues c4 (71.4% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (399 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 239 | 59.9% | 58.6% |
| e5 | 138 | 34.6% | 56.5% |
| e6 | 18 | 4.5% | 61.1% |
| c6 | 3 | 0.8% | 66.7% |
| a6 | 1 | 0.3% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (282 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 174 | 61.7% | 56.3% |
| d5 | 108 | 38.3% | 58.3% |
Ray Robson's chess games
All 1,765 games by Ray Robson in the Chess.ceo database (Jan 2005 - 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: 752 wins, 582 draws, 430 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B42 | Sicilian | 80 | 41/27/12 | 51.3% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 63 | 35/12/16 | 55.6% |
| C65 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 62 | 15/34/13 | 24.2% |
| C88 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 53 | 25/18/10 | 47.2% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 41 | 21/6/14 | 51.2% |
| B12 | Caro-Kann: Advance Variation | 32 | 20/5/7 | 62.5% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 31 | 14/6/11 | 45.2% |
| E49 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 27 | 15/8/4 | 55.6% |
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 24 | 5/11/8 | 20.8% |
| D12 | Slav Defense | 24 | 8/15/1 | 33.3% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D45 | Slav Defense | 71 | 17/34/20 | 23.9% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 65 | 26/17/22 | 40.0% |
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 52 | 20/25/7 | 38.5% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 45 | 24/15/6 | 53.3% |
| A08 | Réti Opening | 41 | 13/12/16 | 31.7% |
| E04 | Catalan | 38 | 21/12/5 | 55.3% |
| A16 | English Opening | 37 | 6/19/12 | 16.2% |
| D85 | Grünfeld Defense | 37 | 15/14/8 | 40.5% |
| B81 | Sicilian: Scheveningen | 36 | 20/6/10 | 55.6% |
| B52 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 34 | 18/10/5 | 52.9% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2023 | Magnus Carlsen | 2,859 | Titled Tue Late | B08 |
| Mar 2019 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,828 | PRO League Stage | B67 |
| Jan 2019 | Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | 2,817 | PRO League Stage | B12 |
| Apr 2015 | Wesley So | 2,788 | ch-USA | C67 |
| Apr 2022 | Levon Aronian | 2,785 | ch-American Cup | A29 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2025 | 183 | 132 | 2,585 |
| ch-USA | 2023 | 148 | 78.5 | 2,651 |
| PRO League Stage | 2020 | 75 | 45 | 2,671 |
| Chess24 Banter Blitz Cup | 2020 | 44 | 26 | 2,700 |
| chT-Pan American Intercollegiate | 2017 | 33 | 28 | 2,624 |
| American Cup Championship | 2026 | 27 | 13 | 2,740 |
| American Cup Blitz | 2025 | 26 | 13.5 | 2,633 |
| American Cup Elimination | 2026 | 26 | 9 | 2,600 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Wesley So (41 games) · Leinier Dominguez Perez (37 games) · Fabiano Caruana (36 games) · Samuel Sevian (29 games) · Sam Shankland (28 games) · Varuzhan Akobian (26 games) · Sanan Sjugirov (21 games) · Dariusz Swiercz (19 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,765 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Ray Robson's chess games?
1,765 games by Ray Robson, from Jan 2005 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 Ray Robson has played.
What does Ray Robson play on the first move as White?
Across 891 games with White in our database, Ray Robson opens with 1.e4 (75% of games), 1.d4 (19% of games), 1.c4 (5% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Ray Robson answers 1...c5 (60% of games), 1...e5 (35% of games), 1...e6 (5% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (62% of games), 1...d5 (38% of games).
What openings does Ray Robson play as White?
As White, Ray Robson's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (80 games, 51.3% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (63 games, 55.6% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense (62 games, 24.2% win rate). The full breakdown of 891 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Ray Robson play as Black?
As Black, Ray Robson most often plays: Slav Defense (71 games, 23.9% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (65 games, 40.0% win rate); Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense (52 games, 38.5% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 874 games.
What is Ray Robson's FIDE rating?
Ray Robson is currently rated 2,659 in classical chess, 2,639 in rapid and 2,622 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,704 (May 2023).
How many games has Ray Robson played?
Our database contains 1,765 games by Ray Robson, covering Jan 2005 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 752 wins, 582 draws, 430 losses (42.6% win rate).
How do I prepare against Ray Robson?
1,765 games by Ray Robson 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.