Prepare against Royce Zhang
United States · World #13,255 classical · FIDE ID 39928349
When preparing against Royce Zhang, expect 1.d4 in 86% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e6 (83% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (100%).
Our database contains 77 games by Royce Zhang, covering Nov 2023 to Nov 2026. Below you'll find Royce Zhang's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Royce Zhang 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 | 2,135 | Sep 2026 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 77 | 16 | 8 | 53 | 20.8% |
| As White | 38 | 7 | 5 | 26 | 18.4% |
| As Black | 39 | 9 | 3 | 27 | 23.1% |
FIDE rated record
From FIDE's official rated-game ledger (2023-2026): 236 rated games against 216 different opponents, across 43 events in 7 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 | 221 | 64 | 67 | 90 | 29.0% | 1,889 | 1,832 | 11 |
Against the field
| Opposition | Games | W | D | L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Against higher-rated | 140 | 29 | 37 | 74 | 20.7% |
| Against lower-rated | 78 | 33 | 28 | 17 | 42.3% |
Wins over titled players: 1 vs FM · 4 vs CM · 1 vs WIM · 2 vs WFM · 3 vs WCM.
Year by year
| Year | Games | W | D | L | Avg opp | Perf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 52 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 1,998 | 2,006 |
| 2025 | 80 | 20 | 28 | 32 | 1,891 | 1,825 |
| 2024 | 91 | 29 | 20 | 42 | 1,856 | 1,786 |
| 2023 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 1,599 | 1,422 |
Where Royce Zhang has played
United States (40) · Austria (1) · Canada (1) · Czechia (1) · Spain (1) · Germany (1) · Serbia (1)
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Royce Zhang's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Royce Zhang's side.
First moves as White (37 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 32 | 86.5% | 20.3% |
| Nf3 | 4 | 10.8% | 50.0% |
| c4 | 1 | 2.7% | 100.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 86% of White games, 20.3% score
- …Nf6 (56% of these games) — Zhang usually continues c4 (25.0% score)
- …d5 (28% of these games) — Zhang usually continues c4 (0.0% score)
- …d6 (9% of these games) — Zhang usually continues Nf3 (50.0% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 11% of White games, 50.0% score
- …Nf6 (50% of these games) — Zhang usually continues d4 (0.0% score)
- …d6 (25% of these games) — Zhang usually continues d4 (100.0% score)
- …d5 (25% of these games) — Zhang usually continues e3 (100.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (18 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 15 | 83.3% | 13.3% |
| c6 | 3 | 16.7% | 33.3% |
As Black against 1.d4 (11 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 11 | 100.0% | 40.9% |
Royce Zhang's chess games
All 77 games by Royce Zhang in the Chess.ceo database (Nov 2023 - Nov 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: 16 wins, 8 draws, 53 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E06 | Catalan | 12 | 0/4/8 | 0.0% |
| D94 | Grünfeld Defense | 3 | 0/0/3 | 0.0% |
| D25 | Queen's Gambit Accepted | 3 | 0/0/3 | 0.0% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| E92 | King's Indian Defense: Petrosian Variation | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| A52 | Budapest Defense | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| A05 | Réti Opening | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| D07 | Queen's Gambit | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| D13 | Slav Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| A55 | English Opening | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A46 | Indian Defense | 7 | 2/0/5 | 28.6% |
| C00 | French Defense | 6 | 0/1/5 | 0.0% |
| C07 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 3 | 0/0/3 | 0.0% |
| A05 | Réti Opening | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| C01 | French: Exchange Variation | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| A45 | Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| A15 | English Opening | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| B10 | Caro-Kann | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | Konstantin Begunov | 2,325 | Titled Tue 22nd Sep 2026 | E34 |
| Sep 2026 | Maksim Omariev | 2,304 | 1st 3-0 Thu 24th Sep 2026 | A01 |
| Sep 2026 | Aliaksei Kramich | 2,300 | Titled Tue 29th Sep 2026 | A41 |
| Sep 2026 | Denyefa Callistus EYETONGHAN | 2,256 | Titled Tue 22nd Sep 2026 | A50 |
| Oct 2026 | Tomasz Mika | 2,213 | Titled Tue 13th Oct 2026 | — |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 33 | 8 | 2,011 |
| 1st 3-0 Thu 24th Sep 2026 | 2026 | 9 | 1.5 | 1,889 |
| 1st 3-0 Thu 8th Oct 2026 | 2026 | 9 | 2 | 1,941 |
| 13th Prague Summer Open | 2026 | 7 | 3.5 | 2,111 |
| 2nd 3-0 Thu 24th Sep 2026 | 2026 | 4 | 1 | 1,901 |
| 2nd 3-0 Thu 8th Oct 2026 | 2026 | 3 | 1 | 2,072 |
| 2nd 3-0 Thu 1st Oct 2026 | 2026 | 3 | 1 | 2,086 |
| 2025 Marshall Premier FIDE | June | 2025 | 3 | 0.5 | 1,716 |
Interactive opening tree from all 77 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Royce Zhang's chess games?
77 games by Royce Zhang, from Nov 2023 to Nov 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 Royce Zhang has played.
What does Royce Zhang play on the first move as White?
Across 37 games with White in our database, Royce Zhang opens with 1.d4 (86% of games), 1.Nf3 (11% of games), 1.c4 (3% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Royce Zhang answers 1...e6 (83% of games), 1...c6 (17% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (100% of games).
What openings does Royce Zhang play as White?
As White, Royce Zhang's most-played openings in our database are: Catalan (12 games, 0.0% win rate); Grünfeld Defense (3 games, 0.0% win rate); Queen's Gambit Accepted (3 games, 0.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 38 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Royce Zhang play as Black?
As Black, Royce Zhang most often plays: Indian Defense (7 games, 28.6% win rate); French Defense (6 games, 0.0% win rate); French: Tarrasch Variation (3 games, 0.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 39 games.
What is Royce Zhang's FIDE rating?
Royce Zhang is currently rated 2,127 in classical chess. Peak classical rating: 2,135 (Sep 2026).
How many games has Royce Zhang played?
Our database contains 77 games by Royce Zhang, covering Nov 2023 to Nov 2026. Overall record: 16 wins, 8 draws, 53 losses (20.8% win rate).
How do I prepare against Royce Zhang?
77 games by Royce Zhang 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.