Prepare against Simon K Williams
GM · United Kingdom · World #1,022 classical · FIDE ID 404454
When preparing against Simon K Williams, expect 1.d4 in 64% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (40% of games); against 1.d4, 1...e6 (83%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Dutch Defense as Black, 40.4% over 146 games.
Our database contains 3,317 games by Simon K Williams, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Simon K Williams's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Simon K Williams 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 | 2,449 | 2,550 | Nov 2009 |
| Rapid | 2,467 | 2,535 | Dec 2015 |
| Blitz | 2,389 | 2,538 | Dec 2017 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3,317 | 1,621 | 540 | 1,156 | 48.9% |
| As White | 1,654 | 840 | 282 | 532 | 50.8% |
| As Black | 1,663 | 781 | 258 | 624 | 47.0% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Simon K Williams's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Simon K Williams's side.
First moves as White (1,654 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 1,057 | 63.9% | 59.0% |
| e4 | 289 | 17.5% | 59.0% |
| c4 | 128 | 7.7% | 68.8% |
| f4 | 93 | 5.6% | 52.7% |
| Nf3 | 35 | 2.1% | 57.1% |
| b3 | 23 | 1.4% | 60.9% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 64% of White games, 59.0% score
- …Nf6 (58% of these games) — Williams usually continues c4 (59.0% score)
- …d5 (30% of these games) — Williams usually continues c4 (61.3% score)
- …e6 (4% of these games) — Williams usually continues Nf3 (48.3% score)
- 1.e4 — 17% of White games, 59.0% score
- …c5 (47% of these games) — Williams usually continues Nf3 (48.8% score)
- …e5 (19% of these games) — Williams usually continues f4 (56.1% score)
- …e6 (15% of these games) — Williams usually continues Nf3 (58.7% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (781 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 314 | 40.2% | 51.0% |
| e6 | 261 | 33.4% | 56.9% |
| d6 | 129 | 16.5% | 60.5% |
| g6 | 43 | 5.5% | 65.1% |
| e5 | 14 | 1.8% | 39.3% |
| a6 | 6 | 0.8% | 58.3% |
As Black against 1.d4 (558 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 461 | 82.6% | 55.6% |
| Nf6 | 60 | 10.8% | 56.7% |
| f5 | 11 | 2.0% | 45.5% |
| d5 | 11 | 2.0% | 63.6% |
| g6 | 6 | 1.1% | 41.7% |
| d6 | 3 | 0.5% | 50.0% |
Simon K Williams's chess games
All 3,317 games by Simon K Williams 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: 1,621 wins, 540 draws, 1,156 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 155 | 75/26/54 | 48.4% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 127 | 59/32/36 | 46.5% |
| A45 | Trompowsky Attack | 110 | 55/9/46 | 50.0% |
| A03 | Bird's opening | 83 | 37/12/34 | 44.6% |
| B20 | Sicilian | 75 | 41/8/26 | 54.7% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 64 | 33/14/17 | 51.6% |
| C33 | King's Gambit | 49 | 25/6/18 | 51.0% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 47 | 21/13/13 | 44.7% |
| D00 | Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation | 45 | 22/8/15 | 48.9% |
| E11 | Bogo-Indian Defense | 45 | 19/9/17 | 42.2% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A96 | Horwitz Defense | 341 | 168/44/129 | 49.3% |
| A04 | Dutch Defense | 146 | 59/22/65 | 40.4% |
| B75 | Sicilian: Dragon | 106 | 51/8/47 | 48.1% |
| C41 | Pirc Defense: Lion System | 98 | 57/14/27 | 58.2% |
| B53 | Sicilian | 85 | 36/11/38 | 42.4% |
| C06 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 80 | 37/14/29 | 46.3% |
| A10 | English Opening: Dutch Defense | 79 | 39/9/31 | 49.4% |
| C18 | French: Winawer Variation | 65 | 30/9/26 | 46.2% |
| A40 | English Defense | 63 | 35/10/18 | 55.6% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 48 | 21/14/13 | 43.8% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2012 | Boris Gelfand | 2,736 | 28th EU-Cup | A96 |
| May 2011 | Radoslaw Wojtaszek | 2,721 | FRA-chT Top 12 | A96 |
| May 2011 | Pavel Eljanov | 2,712 | FRA-chT Top 12 | D38 |
| Dec 2020 | Maxim Matlakov | 2,698 | Titled Tue | D31 |
| Mar 2006 | Ivan Sokolov | 2,689 | 22nd Reykjavik Open | A96 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 1,757 | 953 | 2,353 |
| Reykjavik Open | 2025 | 54 | 35 | 2,449 |
| 1st 3-0 Thursday | 2026 | 40 | 15.5 | 2,216 |
| FRA-chT Top 12 | 2014 | 31 | 10.5 | 2,458 |
| London Classic Open | 2017 | 27 | 20.5 | 2,577 |
| ch-SUI Open | 2010 | 25 | 18 | 2,461 |
| ch-BCF | 2024 | 20 | 11 | 2,349 |
| Douglas PokerStars Open | 2015 | 18 | 9.5 | 2,453 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Mark L Hebden (23 games) · Gawain C B Maroroa Jones (16 games) · David W L Howell (13 games) · Sam E. Collins (11 games) · Jack Rudd (11 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 3,317 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Simon K Williams's chess games?
3,317 games by Simon K Williams, 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 Simon K Williams has played.
What does Simon K Williams play on the first move as White?
Across 1,654 games with White in our database, Simon K Williams opens with 1.d4 (64% of games), 1.e4 (17% of games), 1.c4 (8% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Simon K Williams answers 1...c5 (40% of games), 1...e6 (33% of games), 1...d6 (17% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...e6 (83% of games), 1...Nf6 (11% of games), 1...f5 (2% of games).
What openings does Simon K Williams play as White?
As White, Simon K Williams's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (155 games, 48.4% win rate); Slav Defense (127 games, 46.5% win rate); Trompowsky Attack (110 games, 50.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 1,654 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Simon K Williams play as Black?
As Black, Simon K Williams most often plays: Horwitz Defense (341 games, 49.3% win rate); Dutch Defense (146 games, 40.4% win rate); Sicilian: Dragon (106 games, 48.1% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 1,663 games.
What is Simon K Williams's FIDE rating?
Simon K Williams is currently rated 2,449 in classical chess, 2,467 in rapid and 2,389 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,550 (Nov 2009).
How many games has Simon K Williams played?
Our database contains 3,317 games by Simon K Williams, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 1,621 wins, 540 draws, 1,156 losses (48.9% win rate).
How do I prepare against Simon K Williams?
3,317 games by Simon K Williams 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.