Prepare against Volkmar John
DEU · World #100,729 classical · FIDE ID 16201906
When preparing against Volkmar John, expect 1.c4 in 46% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (74% of games); against 1.d4, 1...d5 (85%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: English Opening: Reverse Sicilian as White, 17.6% over 17 games.
Our database contains 188 games by Volkmar John, covering May 2015 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Volkmar John's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Volkmar John 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 | 1,727 | 1,861 | Oct 2017 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 188 | 62 | 54 | 72 | 33.0% |
| As White | 92 | 29 | 26 | 37 | 31.5% |
| As Black | 96 | 33 | 28 | 35 | 34.4% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Volkmar John's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Volkmar John's side.
First moves as White (92 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c4 | 42 | 45.7% | 39.3% |
| e4 | 25 | 27.2% | 60.0% |
| Nf3 | 14 | 15.2% | 39.3% |
| d4 | 11 | 12.0% | 45.5% |
Main lines as White
- 1.c4 — 46% of White games, 39.3% score
- …Nf6 (31% of these games) — John usually continues Nc3 (31.3% score)
- …e5 (29% of these games) — John usually continues g3 (43.8% score)
- …c5 (12% of these games) — John usually continues g3 (16.7% score)
- 1.e4 — 27% of White games, 60.0% score
- …c5 (28% of these games) — John usually continues Nf3 (83.3% score)
- …e5 (24% of these games) — John usually continues Nf3 (50.0% score)
- …e6 (16% of these games) — John usually continues d4 (87.5% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (50 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 37 | 74.0% | 41.9% |
| e5 | 8 | 16.0% | 56.3% |
| c6 | 5 | 10.0% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (27 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 23 | 85.2% | 60.9% |
| Nf6 | 4 | 14.8% | 75.0% |
Volkmar John's chess games
All 188 games by Volkmar John in the Chess.ceo database (May 2015 - Aug 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: 62 wins, 54 draws, 72 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A13 | English Opening | 21 | 5/7/9 | 23.8% |
| A28 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 17 | 3/6/8 | 17.6% |
| A30 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 6 | 1/3/2 | 16.7% |
| C45 | Scotch Game | 5 | 3/0/2 | 60.0% |
| D46 | Slav Defense | 4 | 2/2/0 | 50.0% |
| A12 | English Opening: Slav Setup | 3 | 0/1/2 | 0.0% |
| B13 | Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation | 3 | 0/0/3 | 0.0% |
| B03 | Alekhine Defense | 2 | 0/1/1 | 0.0% |
| A88 | Dutch Defense | 2 | 2/0/0 | 100.0% |
| C14 | French: Classical Variation | 2 | 2/0/0 | 100.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D36 | Indian Defense | 11 | 7/2/2 | 63.6% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 10 | 2/3/5 | 20.0% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 8 | 1/4/3 | 12.5% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 7 | 2/1/4 | 28.6% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 4 | 1/2/1 | 25.0% |
| E18 | Catalan | 4 | 1/1/2 | 25.0% |
| A13 | English Opening | 4 | 0/1/3 | 0.0% |
| A36 | English Opening: Symmetrical | 4 | 1/2/1 | 25.0% |
| D02 | London System | 3 | 1/1/1 | 33.3% |
| A01 | Nimzovich-Larsen attack | 3 | 1/0/2 | 33.3% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2017 | Robert Baskin | 2,320 | 29th Wiesbaden Open | A28 |
| Jun 2026 | David Ramien | 2,206 | 16. Rheinland-Pfalz Open | A10 |
| Mar 2016 | Eduard Schwarz | 1,989 | 4th Hofheim Spring Open B | E18 |
| Apr 2017 | Boris Litfin | 1,945 | 5th Hofheim Spring Open B | C14 |
| Jan 2015 | Alexander Krastev | 1,940 | ch-Hessen Open B | B23 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch-Frankfurt A | 2019 | 34 | 13 | 1,643 |
| chB-Hessen | 2019 | 21 | 12 | 1,762 |
| Eschborn Open | 2018 | 10 | 4.5 | 1,593 |
| 7th Hofheim Spring Open B | 2019 | 9 | 3.5 | 1,621 |
| 4th Hofheim Spring Open B | 2016 | 9 | 4.5 | 1,840 |
| 3rd Hofheim Spring Open B | 2015 | 9 | 4.5 | 1,769 |
| 6th Hofheim Spring Open B | 2018 | 8 | 3.5 | 1,630 |
| 5th Hofheim Spring Open B | 2017 | 8 | 6 | 2,042 |
Interactive opening tree from all 188 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Volkmar John's chess games?
188 games by Volkmar John, from May 2015 to Aug 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 Volkmar John has played.
What does Volkmar John play on the first move as White?
Across 92 games with White in our database, Volkmar John opens with 1.c4 (46% of games), 1.e4 (27% of games), 1.Nf3 (15% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Volkmar John answers 1...c5 (74% of games), 1...e5 (16% of games), 1...c6 (10% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...d5 (85% of games), 1...Nf6 (15% of games).
What openings does Volkmar John play as White?
As White, Volkmar John's most-played openings in our database are: English Opening (21 games, 23.8% win rate); English Opening: Reverse Sicilian (17 games, 17.6% win rate); English Opening: Symmetrical (6 games, 16.7% win rate). The full breakdown of 92 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Volkmar John play as Black?
As Black, Volkmar John most often plays: Indian Defense (11 games, 63.6% win rate); Sicilian: Najdorf (10 games, 20.0% win rate); Sicilian (8 games, 12.5% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 96 games.
What is Volkmar John's FIDE rating?
Volkmar John is currently rated 1,727 in classical chess. Peak classical rating: 1,861 (Oct 2017).
How many games has Volkmar John played?
Our database contains 188 games by Volkmar John, covering May 2015 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 62 wins, 54 draws, 72 losses (33.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against Volkmar John?
188 games by Volkmar John 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.