Prepare against Simon Richards
England · World #66,209 classical · FIDE ID 343458211
When preparing against Simon Richards, expect 1.Nc3 in 100% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...e6 (90% of games); against 1.d4, 1...e6 (100%).
Our database contains 30 games by Simon Richards, covering Mar 2025 to Oct 2026. Below you'll find Simon Richards's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Simon Richards 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 | 1,835 | 1,835 | Oct 2026 |
| Rapid | 1,650 | 1,692 | Mar 2025 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 30 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 20.0% |
| As White | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 21.4% |
| As Black | 16 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 18.8% |
FIDE rated record
From FIDE's official rated-game ledger (2024-2026): 57 rated games against 56 different opponents, across 11 events in 1 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 | 48 | 12 | 17 | 19 | 25.0% | 1,867 | 1,746 | 4 |
| Rapid | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 22.2% | 1,618 | 1,485 | 2 |
Against the field
| Opposition | Games | W | D | L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Against higher-rated | 25 | 3 | 10 | 12 | 12.0% |
| Against lower-rated | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
Wins over titled players: 1 vs CM.
Year by year
| Year | Games | W | D | L | Avg opp | Perf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 17 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 1,937 | 1,814 |
| 2025 | 36 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 1,792 | 1,642 |
| 2024 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1,575 | 1,775 |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Simon Richards's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Simon Richards's side.
First moves as White (14 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nc3 | 14 | 100.0% | 35.7% |
Main lines as White
- 1.Nc3 — 100% of White games, 35.7% score
- …d5 (36% of these games) — Richards usually continues d4 (30.0% score)
- …e5 (29% of these games) — Richards usually continues e4 (37.5% score)
- …Nf6 (14% of these games) — Richards usually continues d4 (0.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (10 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 9 | 90.0% | 38.9% |
| Nc6 | 1 | 10.0% | 0.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (3 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e6 | 3 | 100.0% | 16.7% |
Simon Richards's chess games
All 30 games by Simon Richards in the Chess.ceo database (Mar 2025 - Oct 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: 6 wins, 8 draws, 16 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D00 | Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation | 6 | 0/3/3 | 0.0% |
| C29 | Vienna Game | 4 | 1/1/2 | 25.0% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 2 | 1/0/1 | 50.0% |
| A00 | Dunst Opening | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| A00 | Pirc Defense: Lion System | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C00 | French Defense | 4 | 1/2/1 | 25.0% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 3 | 1/1/1 | 33.3% |
| C03 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| A40 | Horwitz Defense | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| A40 | English Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| B00 | Nimzowitsch Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| A13 | English Opening | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| C11 | French: Classical Variation | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| A06 | Nimzo-Larsen Attack | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | Stephen C Ledger | 2,047 | 2026 British Chess Championships: Over 50 | A06 |
| Aug 2026 | Shahab Quraishi | 1,887 | 2026 British Chess Championships: Over 50 | C02 |
| Feb 2025 | Paul Doherty | 1,835 | 1st Cheadle Open 2025 | B23 |
| Apr 2025 | Neil S Homer | 1,691 | English Seniors 50+ | C00 |
| Oct 2026 | Duncan Clarke | 1,624 | English Chess Championships 2026 | Over 50's | Classical | C25 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 British Chess Championships: Over 50 | 2026 | 7 | 3.5 | 2,023 |
| English Seniors 50+ | 2025 | 6 | 2.5 | 1,805 |
| English Chess Championships 2026 | Over 50's | Classical | 2026 | 6 | 1.5 | 1,692 |
| 1st Cheadle Open 2025 | 2025 | 6 | 1.5 | 1,590 |
| 2nd Cheadle FIDE Open 2026 | 2026 | 5 | 1 | 1,610 |
Interactive opening tree from all 30 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Simon Richards's chess games?
30 games by Simon Richards, from Mar 2025 to Oct 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 Richards has played.
What does Simon Richards play on the first move as White?
Across 14 games with White in our database, Simon Richards opens with 1.Nc3 (100% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Simon Richards answers 1...e6 (90% of games), 1...Nc6 (10% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...e6 (100% of games).
What openings does Simon Richards play as White?
As White, Simon Richards's most-played openings in our database are: Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation (6 games, 0.0% win rate); Vienna Game (4 games, 25.0% win rate); Sicilian: Closed (2 games, 50.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 14 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Simon Richards play as Black?
As Black, Simon Richards most often plays: French Defense (4 games, 25.0% win rate); French: Advance Variation (3 games, 33.3% win rate); French: Tarrasch Variation (2 games, 0.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 16 games.
What is Simon Richards's FIDE rating?
Simon Richards is currently rated 1,835 in classical chess, 1,650 in rapid. Peak classical rating: 1,835 (Oct 2026).
How many games has Simon Richards played?
Our database contains 30 games by Simon Richards, covering Mar 2025 to Oct 2026. Overall record: 6 wins, 8 draws, 16 losses (20.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against Simon Richards?
30 games by Simon Richards 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.