Prepare against Stephen J Gordon
GM · United Kingdom · World #1,588 classical · FIDE ID 411477
When preparing against Stephen J Gordon, expect 1.d4 in 57% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (99% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (91%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Slav Defense as Black, 17.6% over 17 games.
Our database contains 856 games by Stephen J Gordon, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Stephen J Gordon's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Stephen J Gordon 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 | 2,406 | 2,556 | Oct 2012 |
| Rapid | 2,452 | 2,526 | Oct 2013 |
| Blitz | 2,466 | 2,544 | Sep 2018 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 856 | 369 | 330 | 156 | 43.1% |
| As White | 423 | 205 | 164 | 54 | 48.5% |
| As Black | 433 | 164 | 166 | 102 | 37.9% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Stephen J Gordon's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Stephen J Gordon's side.
First moves as White (423 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 241 | 57.0% | 68.7% |
| c4 | 97 | 22.9% | 70.6% |
| Nf3 | 81 | 19.1% | 64.2% |
| e4 | 4 | 0.9% | 25.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 57% of White games, 68.7% score
- …Nf6 (55% of these games) — Gordon usually continues c4 (65.9% score)
- …d5 (26% of these games) — Gordon usually continues c4 (64.4% score)
- …e6 (9% of these games) — Gordon usually continues c4 (77.5% score)
- 1.c4 — 23% of White games, 70.6% score
- …e5 (26% of these games) — Gordon usually continues g3 (53.6% score)
- …Nf6 (25% of these games) — Gordon usually continues Nc3 (75.0% score)
- …e6 (21% of these games) — Gordon usually continues g3 (77.3% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (186 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 184 | 98.9% | 59.5% |
| c6 | 2 | 1.1% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (175 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 159 | 90.9% | 58.2% |
| d5 | 15 | 8.6% | 53.3% |
| e6 | 1 | 0.6% | 50.0% |
Stephen J Gordon's chess games
All 856 games by Stephen J Gordon 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: 369 wins, 330 draws, 156 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A13 | English Opening | 44 | 28/13/3 | 63.6% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 42 | 21/14/7 | 50.0% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 30 | 14/12/4 | 46.7% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 28 | 13/8/7 | 46.4% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 27 | 9/14/4 | 33.3% |
| E13 | Queen's Indian Defense | 26 | 10/13/3 | 38.5% |
| E06 | Catalan | 21 | 9/8/4 | 42.9% |
| A58 | Benoni Defense | 16 | 9/7/0 | 56.3% |
| A11 | English Opening: Slav Setup | 13 | 9/3/1 | 69.2% |
| A80 | Dutch Defense | 13 | 8/4/1 | 61.5% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B50 | Sicilian | 56 | 26/13/17 | 46.4% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 51 | 25/12/14 | 49.0% |
| E46 | Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System | 25 | 7/14/4 | 28.0% |
| E05 | Catalan | 23 | 6/12/5 | 26.1% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 22 | 7/7/8 | 31.8% |
| E12 | Queen's Indian Defense | 21 | 4/13/4 | 19.0% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 20 | 7/9/4 | 35.0% |
| D11 | Slav Defense | 17 | 3/10/4 | 17.6% |
| A13 | English Opening | 16 | 6/8/2 | 37.5% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 16 | 7/6/3 | 43.8% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2017 | David W L Howell | 2,702 | 5th London Kings Place Rapid Open | A33 |
| Dec 2019 | Gawain C B Maroroa Jones | 2,683 | London Chess Classic Blitz Knockout | B40 |
| May 2013 | Daniel Fridman | 2,648 | 14th ch-EUR | A29 |
| May 2017 | Evgeny Romanov | 2,636 | 6th Llucmajor Open | A21 |
| May 2013 | Illya Nyzhnyk | 2,635 | 14th ch-EUR | D37 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-BCF rapidplay | 2009 | 23 | 12 | 2,356 |
| Shropshire Open | 2020 | 14 | 10.5 | 2,342 |
| Bundesliga 2011-12 | 2012 | 12 | 7 | 2,558 |
| 100th ch-GBR | 2013 | 11 | 8 | 2,580 |
| ch-GBR | 2004 | 11 | 5.5 | 2,347 |
| 99th ch-GBR | 2012 | 11 | 9 | 2,646 |
| chT-BCF 0506 (4NCL) | 2006 | 11 | 7 | 2,528 |
| ch-GBR 95th | 2008 | 11 | 7.5 | 2,561 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Daniel W Gormally (12 games) · Gawain C B Maroroa Jones (12 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 856 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Stephen J Gordon's chess games?
856 games by Stephen J Gordon, 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 Stephen J Gordon has played.
What does Stephen J Gordon play on the first move as White?
Across 423 games with White in our database, Stephen J Gordon opens with 1.d4 (57% of games), 1.c4 (23% of games), 1.Nf3 (19% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Stephen J Gordon answers 1...c5 (99% of games), 1...c6 (1% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (91% of games), 1...d5 (9% of games), 1...e6 (1% of games).
What openings does Stephen J Gordon play as White?
As White, Stephen J Gordon's most-played openings in our database are: English Opening (44 games, 63.6% win rate); Slav Defense (42 games, 50.0% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (30 games, 46.7% win rate). The full breakdown of 423 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Stephen J Gordon play as Black?
As Black, Stephen J Gordon most often plays: Sicilian (56 games, 46.4% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (51 games, 49.0% win rate); Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein System (25 games, 28.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 433 games.
What is Stephen J Gordon's FIDE rating?
Stephen J Gordon is currently rated 2,406 in classical chess, 2,452 in rapid and 2,466 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,556 (Oct 2012).
How many games has Stephen J Gordon played?
Our database contains 856 games by Stephen J Gordon, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 369 wins, 330 draws, 156 losses (43.1% win rate).
How do I prepare against Stephen J Gordon?
856 games by Stephen J Gordon 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.