Prepare against Stephen Murdoch
New Zealand · World #142,665 classical · FIDE ID 4305914
When preparing against Stephen Murdoch, expect 1.d4 in 83% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (35% of games); against 1.d4, 1...d5 (67%).
Our database contains 50 games by Stephen Murdoch, covering May 2015 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find Stephen Murdoch's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Stephen Murdoch 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 | 1,613 | 1,667 | Aug 2024 |
| Rapid | 1,670 | 1,670 | Jul 2026 |
| Blitz | 1,641 | 1,651 | Aug 2025 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 50 | 13 | 7 | 30 | 26.0% |
| As White | 24 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 33.3% |
| As Black | 26 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 19.2% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Stephen Murdoch's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Stephen Murdoch's side.
First moves as White (24 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 20 | 83.3% | 42.5% |
| Nf3 | 4 | 16.7% | 37.5% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 83% of White games, 42.5% score
- …Nf6 (50% of these games) — Murdoch usually continues Nf3 (50.0% score)
- …d5 (35% of these games) — Murdoch usually continues Bf4 (100.0% score)
- …g6 (5% of these games) — Murdoch usually continues Bf4 (100.0% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 17% of White games, 37.5% score
- …Nf6 (50% of these games) — Murdoch usually continues g3 (50.0% score)
- …d5 (25% of these games) — Murdoch usually continues g3 (0.0% score)
- …c5 (25% of these games) — Murdoch usually continues d3 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (20 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 7 | 35.0% | 14.3% |
| c6 | 5 | 25.0% | 0.0% |
| d5 | 5 | 25.0% | 40.0% |
| e6 | 3 | 15.0% | 66.7% |
As Black against 1.d4 (6 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 4 | 66.7% | 12.5% |
| Nf6 | 2 | 33.3% | 50.0% |
Stephen Murdoch's chess games
All 50 games by Stephen Murdoch in the Chess.ceo database (May 2015 - 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: 13 wins, 7 draws, 30 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D05 | Indian Defense | 5 | 2/2/1 | 40.0% |
| D04 | Queen's Pawn Game | 5 | 1/0/4 | 20.0% |
| D00 | London System | 3 | 3/0/0 | 100.0% |
| A08 | Réti Opening | 2 | 1/1/0 | 50.0% |
| A07 | King's Indian Attack | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| D04 | Colle System | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| D03 | Torre Attack | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| A95 | Horwitz Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| E60 | King's Indian Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| A40 | Modern Defense | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B27 | Sicilian: Hyperaccelerated Dragon | 5 | 0/1/4 | 0.0% |
| B01 | Scandinavian Defense: Main Line | 4 | 2/0/2 | 50.0% |
| D47 | Slav Defense | 3 | 0/1/2 | 0.0% |
| D00 | Blackmar-Diemer Gambit | 2 | 0/0/2 | 0.0% |
| B11 | Caro-Kann: Two Knights Variation | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| C02 | French: Advance Variation | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| C01 | French Defense | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
| C01 | French: Exchange Variation | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| A48 | Indian Defense | 1 | 0/0/1 | 0.0% |
| B07 | Queen's Pawn Game | 1 | 1/0/0 | 100.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2017 | Martin Post | 1,908 | 124th ch-NZL Open | A46 |
| Jan 2017 | Patrick D Cunningham | 1,737 | 124th ch-NZL Open | D05 |
| Jan 2018 | Nigel Cooper | 1,692 | Palmy Knights Open | A40 |
| Jan 2018 | Sol Ross | 1,316 | Manawatu Rapid Open | D00 |
| Jan 2018 | Robert Doorne | 1,284 | Manawatu Rapid Open | D00 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellington Easter Open | 2017 | 12 | 4 | 1,683 |
| 124th ch-NZL Open | 2017 | 9 | 4 | 1,834 |
| ch-North Island | 2016 | 8 | 2 | 1,566 |
| Manawatu Rapid Open | 2018 | 6 | 3 | 1,505 |
| Oceania zt 3.6 | 2017 | 6 | 0.5 | 1,356 |
| Wellington Open | 2016 | 6 | 2 | 1,952 |
| Palmy Knights Open | 2018 | 2 | 1 | 1,949 |
| ch-NZL Major Open | 2018 | 1 | 0 | 1,498 |
Interactive opening tree from all 50 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Stephen Murdoch's chess games?
50 games by Stephen Murdoch, from May 2015 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 Stephen Murdoch has played.
What does Stephen Murdoch play on the first move as White?
Across 24 games with White in our database, Stephen Murdoch opens with 1.d4 (83% of games), 1.Nf3 (17% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Stephen Murdoch answers 1...c5 (35% of games), 1...c6 (25% of games), 1...d5 (25% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (67% of games), 1...Nf6 (33% of games).
What openings does Stephen Murdoch play as White?
As White, Stephen Murdoch's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (5 games, 40.0% win rate); Queen's Pawn Game (5 games, 20.0% win rate); London System (3 games, 100.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 24 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Stephen Murdoch play as Black?
As Black, Stephen Murdoch most often plays: Sicilian: Hyperaccelerated Dragon (5 games, 0.0% win rate); Scandinavian Defense: Main Line (4 games, 50.0% win rate); Slav Defense (3 games, 0.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 26 games.
What is Stephen Murdoch's FIDE rating?
Stephen Murdoch is currently rated 1,613 in classical chess, 1,670 in rapid and 1,641 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 1,667 (Aug 2024).
How many games has Stephen Murdoch played?
Our database contains 50 games by Stephen Murdoch, covering May 2015 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 13 wins, 7 draws, 30 losses (26.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against Stephen Murdoch?
50 games by Stephen Murdoch 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.