Prepare against Simon James
France · World #34,679 classical · FIDE ID 560059320
Our database contains 43 games by Simon James, covering Feb 2026 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Simon James's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Simon James 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 | 1,961 | 1,970 | Apr 2026 |
| Rapid | 1,835 | 1,837 | Apr 2026 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 43 | 7 | 20 | 16 | 16.3% |
| As White | 21 | 4 | 11 | 6 | 19.0% |
| As Black | 22 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 13.6% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Simon James's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Simon James's side.
First moves as White (21 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 13 | 61.9% | 42.3% |
| e3 | 4 | 19.0% | 50.0% |
| g3 | 2 | 9.5% | 50.0% |
| e4 | 2 | 9.5% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 62% of White games, 42.3% score
- …Nf6 (62% of these games) — James usually continues c4 (42.9% score)
- …d5 (15% of these games) — James usually continues Nf3 (0.0% score)
- …e6 (15% of these games) — James usually continues c4 (50.0% score)
- 1.e3 — 19% of White games, 50.0% score
- …Nf6 (100% of these games) — James usually continues Nf3 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (12 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c6 | 4 | 33.3% | 25.0% |
| d6 | 3 | 25.0% | 33.3% |
| e5 | 2 | 16.7% | 50.0% |
| g6 | 2 | 16.7% | 100.0% |
| b6 | 1 | 8.3% | 100.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (6 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| g6 | 3 | 50.0% | 16.7% |
| c6 | 1 | 16.7% | 0.0% |
| d6 | 1 | 16.7% | 0.0% |
| Nf6 | 1 | 16.7% | 50.0% |
Simon James's chess games
All 43 games by Simon James in the Chess.ceo database (Feb 2026 - 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: 7 wins, 20 draws, 16 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A00 | Van 't Kruijs Opening | 4 | 1/2/1 | 25.0% |
| A67 | Benoni Defense | 3 | 0/1/2 | 0.0% |
| E40 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 3 | 0/2/1 | 0.0% |
| A07 | Hungarian Opening | 2 | 0/2/0 | 0.0% |
| B26 | Sicilian: Closed | 2 | 0/2/0 | 0.0% |
| E91 | King's Indian Defense: Averbakh System | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| A52 | Budapest Defense | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| D34 | Queen's Pawn Game | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| A45 | Trompowsky Attack | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| A95 | Horwitz Defense | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A42 | Modern Defense | 7 | 2/1/4 | 28.6% |
| B08 | Pirc Defense | 3 | 0/2/1 | 0.0% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| B00 | Owen Defense | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| A05 | Réti Opening: Spassky Variation | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| A05 | Réti Opening: Symmetrical Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| C88 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
| C84 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
| D46 | Slav Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| B10 | Caro-Kann | 1 | 0/1/0 | 0.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1981 | Frans Andre Cuijpers | 2,217 | 8th ECI Open U20 | B00 |
| Aug 1985 | Juan R. Davila Vega | 2,205 | WchT U26 5th Group 1 | A45 |
| Aug 1981 | Eflatun Cem Karadag | 2,064 | 8th ECI Open U20 | E91 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-World U20 19th | 1980 | 13 | 5.5 | 2,258 |
| British CF-71 Championship | 1984 | 11 | 3.5 | 2,177 |
| 8th ECI Open U20 | 1981 | 9 | 4.5 | 2,085 |
| WchT U26 5th Group 1 | 1985 | 7 | 2.5 | 2,216 |
| ch-WchT U26 05th final C | 1985 | 2 | 1 | 2,205 |
| 04th WchT U26 | 1983 | 1 | 0 | 1,925 |
Interactive opening tree from all 43 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Simon James's chess games?
43 games by Simon James, from Feb 2026 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 Simon James has played.
What does Simon James play on the first move as White?
Across 21 games with White in our database, Simon James opens with 1.d4 (62% of games), 1.e3 (19% of games), 1.g3 (10% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Simon James answers 1...c6 (33% of games), 1...d6 (25% of games), 1...e5 (17% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...g6 (50% of games), 1...c6 (17% of games), 1...d6 (17% of games).
What openings does Simon James play as White?
As White, Simon James's most-played openings in our database are: Van 't Kruijs Opening (4 games, 25.0% win rate); Benoni Defense (3 games, 0.0% win rate); Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System (3 games, 0.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 21 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Simon James play as Black?
As Black, Simon James most often plays: Modern Defense (7 games, 28.6% win rate); Pirc Defense (3 games, 0.0% win rate); Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation (2 games, 0.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 22 games.
What is Simon James's FIDE rating?
Simon James is currently rated 1,961 in classical chess, 1,835 in rapid. Peak classical rating: 1,970 (Apr 2026).
How many games has Simon James played?
Our database contains 43 games by Simon James, covering Feb 2026 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 7 wins, 20 draws, 16 losses (16.3% win rate).
How do I prepare against Simon James?
43 games by Simon James 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.