Prepare against William Forster
CM · New Zealand · World #86,659 classical · FIDE ID 4301358
When preparing against William Forster, expect 1.d4 in 37% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (59% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (22%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Sicilian as White, 20.0% over 15 games.
Our database contains 609 games by William Forster, covering Jul 2005 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find William Forster's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout William Forster 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 | 1,768 | 2,009 | Jan 2007 |
| Rapid | 1,868 | 1,964 | Feb 2017 |
| Blitz | 1,773 | 1,842 | Jan 2025 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 609 | 206 | 117 | 286 | 33.8% |
| As White | 315 | 102 | 67 | 146 | 32.4% |
| As Black | 294 | 104 | 50 | 140 | 35.4% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of William Forster's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from William Forster's side.
First moves as White (315 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 116 | 36.8% | 32.3% |
| Nf3 | 102 | 32.4% | 57.8% |
| e4 | 89 | 28.3% | 41.6% |
| c4 | 5 | 1.6% | 20.0% |
| f4 | 2 | 0.6% | 25.0% |
| g3 | 1 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 37% of White games, 32.3% score
- …Nf6 (56% of these games) — Forster usually continues c4 (18.5% score)
- …d5 (28% of these games) — Forster usually continues c4 (52.0% score)
- …f5 (6% of these games) — Forster usually continues Nc3 (50.0% score)
- 1.Nf3 — 32% of White games, 57.8% score
- …Nf6 (38% of these games) — Forster usually continues c4 (62.1% score)
- …d5 (33% of these games) — Forster usually continues c4 (58.0% score)
- …c5 (8% of these games) — Forster usually continues c4 (62.5% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (153 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 91 | 59.5% | 41.8% |
| e5 | 26 | 17.0% | 59.6% |
| d6 | 21 | 13.7% | 57.1% |
| e6 | 12 | 7.8% | 41.7% |
| g6 | 2 | 1.3% | 50.0% |
| d5 | 1 | 0.7% | 0.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (93 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 20 | 21.5% | 47.5% |
| d5 | 19 | 20.4% | 18.4% |
| d6 | 18 | 19.4% | 55.6% |
| c5 | 16 | 17.2% | 68.8% |
| f5 | 15 | 16.1% | 33.3% |
| e6 | 3 | 3.2% | 33.3% |
William Forster's chess games
All 609 games by William Forster in the Chess.ceo database (Jul 2005 - 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: 206 wins, 117 draws, 286 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A26 | English Opening | 34 | 17/14/3 | 50.0% |
| A09 | Réti Opening | 29 | 10/8/11 | 34.5% |
| B53 | Sicilian | 15 | 3/5/7 | 20.0% |
| D35 | Indian Defense | 14 | 4/3/7 | 28.6% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 13 | 5/3/5 | 38.5% |
| A80 | Dutch Defense | 11 | 5/1/5 | 45.5% |
| A57 | Benoni Defense | 10 | 2/0/8 | 20.0% |
| B09 | Pirc Defense | 10 | 0/2/8 | 0.0% |
| E32 | Nimzo-Indian: Classical Variation | 9 | 1/0/8 | 11.1% |
| E05 | Catalan | 8 | 1/3/4 | 12.5% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B28 | Sicilian | 31 | 9/3/19 | 29.0% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 23 | 9/3/11 | 39.1% |
| B34 | Sicilian: Accelerated Dragon | 20 | 8/4/8 | 40.0% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 20 | 9/3/8 | 45.0% |
| A80 | Dutch Defense | 18 | 5/2/11 | 27.8% |
| A43 | Benoni Defense | 16 | 8/4/4 | 50.0% |
| D45 | Slav Defense | 14 | 1/2/11 | 7.1% |
| A46 | Indian Defense | 9 | 4/2/3 | 44.4% |
| A41 | Rat Defense | 9 | 4/1/4 | 44.4% |
| A41 | Queen's Pawn Game | 8 | 5/1/2 | 62.5% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2022 | Russell John Dive | 2,389 | Wellington Mazur Memorial | A48 |
| Feb 2012 | Scott Wastney | 2,367 | Wellington CC Summer Cup | A14 |
| Feb 2019 | Eneasz Wiewiora | 2,354 | Titled Tue | A01 |
| Nov 2018 | Rakesh Kulkarni | 2,293 | Titled Tue | A40 |
| Jan 2013 | Benjamin Thomas | 2,260 | ch-NZL 120th | A90 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2019 | 70 | 10.5 | 1,925 |
| Wellington CC-chA | 2022 | 63 | 22 | 1,968 |
| Wellington CC Summer Cup | 2023 | 49 | 29.5 | 2,007 |
| Wellington Mazur Memorial | 2022 | 44 | 24.5 | 2,051 |
| Queenstown Open | 2012 | 28 | 12.5 | 2,081 |
| Wellington CC Autumn Cup B | 2023 | 25 | 13 | 2,026 |
| ch-North Island | 2021 | 24 | 15.5 | 1,993 |
| Sydney Open A | 2009 | 18 | 9 | 2,070 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Anthony F Ker (22 games) · Russell John Dive (14 games) · Michael Nyberg (12 games) · Nicolas Croad (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 609 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find William Forster's chess games?
609 games by William Forster, from Jul 2005 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 William Forster has played.
What does William Forster play on the first move as White?
Across 315 games with White in our database, William Forster opens with 1.d4 (37% of games), 1.Nf3 (32% of games), 1.e4 (28% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, William Forster answers 1...c5 (59% of games), 1...e5 (17% of games), 1...d6 (14% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (22% of games), 1...d5 (20% of games), 1...d6 (19% of games).
What openings does William Forster play as White?
As White, William Forster's most-played openings in our database are: English Opening (34 games, 50.0% win rate); Réti Opening (29 games, 34.5% win rate); Sicilian (15 games, 20.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 315 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does William Forster play as Black?
As Black, William Forster most often plays: Sicilian (31 games, 29.0% win rate); Sicilian: Closed (23 games, 39.1% win rate); Sicilian: Accelerated Dragon (20 games, 40.0% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 294 games.
What is William Forster's FIDE rating?
William Forster is currently rated 1,768 in classical chess, 1,868 in rapid and 1,773 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,009 (Jan 2007).
How many games has William Forster played?
Our database contains 609 games by William Forster, covering Jul 2005 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 206 wins, 117 draws, 286 losses (33.8% win rate).
How do I prepare against William Forster?
609 games by William Forster 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.