Prepare against Richard Kelson
FM · United States · World #16,057 classical · FIDE ID 2001578
Our database contains 68 games by Richard Kelson, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Richard Kelson's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Richard Kelson 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 | 2,094 | 2,282 | Jul 2005 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 68 | 27 | 21 | 20 | 39.7% |
| As White | 32 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 43.8% |
| As Black | 36 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 36.1% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Richard Kelson's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Richard Kelson's side.
First moves as White (32 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 32 | 100.0% | 57.8% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 100% of White games, 57.8% score
- …c5 (63% of these games) — Kelson usually continues Nf3 (67.5% score)
- …e6 (19% of these games) — Kelson usually continues d4 (33.3% score)
- …e5 (9% of these games) — Kelson usually continues Nf3 (33.3% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (16 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 16 | 100.0% | 56.3% |
As Black against 1.d4 (10 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 10 | 100.0% | 30.0% |
Richard Kelson's chess games
All 68 games by Richard Kelson in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Jul 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: 27 wins, 21 draws, 20 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B28 | Sicilian | 7 | 3/3/1 | 42.9% |
| B96 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 6 | 2/2/2 | 33.3% |
| C05 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 6 | 1/2/3 | 16.7% |
| B33 | Sicilian: Sveshnikov | 4 | 2/2/0 | 50.0% |
| C92 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| B01 | Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| B70 | Sicilian: Dragon | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| B81 | Sicilian: Scheveningen | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| B03 | Alekhine Defense | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| B47 | Sicilian: Taimanov | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C42 | Petrov's Defense | 9 | 3/4/2 | 33.3% |
| C48 | Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation | 5 | 2/1/2 | 40.0% |
| E41 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 3 | 1/0/2 | 33.3% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 2 | 1/1/0 | 50.0% |
| E05 | Catalan | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| A17 | English Opening | 2 | 1/1/0 | 50.0% |
| C55 | Four Knights Game: Italian Variation | 2 | 1/1/0 | 50.0% |
| E33 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 2 | 0/2/0 | 0.0% |
| A51 | Budapest Defense | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
| A49 | Réti Opening: Symmetrical Defense | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1994 | Walter Browne | 2,510 | ch-California State 9495 | B96 |
| Aug 1987 | Vivek Rao | 2,474 | US Open 1988 | B68 |
| Jan 1990 | Dov Gorman | 2,335 | Northern California Masters | A00 |
| Jan 1994 | Peter Yu | 2,300 | ch-California State 9495 | A26 |
| Jan 1995 | Gabriel1 Sanchez | 2,240 | 96th US Open | E12 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96th US Open | 1995 | 12 | 9 | 2,495 |
| Western States Open | 2004 | 12 | 4.5 | 2,286 |
| Reno Open | 1994 | 11 | 5.5 | 2,475 |
| US Open 1988 | 1987 | 7 | 4 | 2,417 |
| ch-California State 9495 | 1994 | 5 | 4.5 | 2,658 |
| Northern California Masters | 1990 | 5 | 3 | 2,447 |
| Las Vegas National Open | 1994 | 5 | 2.5 | 2,320 |
| North American Open | 2003 | 5 | 1.5 | 2,219 |
Interactive opening tree from all 68 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Richard Kelson's chess games?
68 games by Richard Kelson, from Apr 2003 to Jul 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 Richard Kelson has played.
What does Richard Kelson play on the first move as White?
Across 32 games with White in our database, Richard Kelson opens with 1.e4 (100% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Richard Kelson answers 1...e5 (100% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (100% of games).
What openings does Richard Kelson play as White?
As White, Richard Kelson's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (7 games, 42.9% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (6 games, 33.3% win rate); French: Tarrasch Variation (6 games, 16.7% win rate). The full breakdown of 32 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Richard Kelson play as Black?
As Black, Richard Kelson most often plays: Petrov's Defense (9 games, 33.3% win rate); Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation (5 games, 40.0% win rate); Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System (3 games, 33.3% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 36 games.
What is Richard Kelson's FIDE rating?
Richard Kelson is currently rated 2,094 in classical chess. Peak classical rating: 2,282 (Jul 2005).
How many games has Richard Kelson played?
Our database contains 68 games by Richard Kelson, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 27 wins, 21 draws, 20 losses (39.7% win rate).
How do I prepare against Richard Kelson?
68 games by Richard Kelson 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.