Prepare against William N Watson
GM · United Kingdom · World #844 classical · FIDE ID 400157
Our database contains 894 games by William N Watson, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Below you'll find William N Watson's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout William N Watson 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 | 2,468 | 2,501 | May 2017 |
| Rapid | 2,492 | 2,498 | Oct 2013 |
| Blitz | 2,421 | 2,490 | May 2022 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 894 | 350 | 334 | 210 | 39.1% |
| As White | 440 | 182 | 175 | 83 | 41.4% |
| As Black | 454 | 168 | 159 | 127 | 37.0% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of William N Watson's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from William N Watson's side.
First moves as White (440 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 419 | 95.2% | 61.5% |
| Nc3 | 9 | 2.0% | 61.1% |
| g3 | 3 | 0.7% | 66.7% |
| a4 | 3 | 0.7% | 50.0% |
| Nf3 | 2 | 0.5% | 25.0% |
| d4 | 2 | 0.5% | 50.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 95% of White games, 61.5% score
- …c5 (39% of these games) — Watson usually continues Nf3 (57.6% score)
- …e5 (21% of these games) — Watson usually continues Nf3 (60.3% score)
- …e6 (16% of these games) — Watson usually continues d4 (68.2% score)
- 1.Nc3 — 2% of White games, 61.1% score
- …d5 (33% of these games) — Watson usually continues e4 (66.7% score)
- …Nf6 (33% of these games) — Watson usually continues e4 (66.7% score)
- …c5 (22% of these games) — Watson usually continues e4 (50.0% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (183 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 131 | 71.6% | 50.4% |
| c6 | 24 | 13.1% | 56.3% |
| g6 | 20 | 10.9% | 67.5% |
| d6 | 8 | 4.4% | 56.3% |
As Black against 1.d4 (184 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 147 | 79.9% | 54.4% |
| d6 | 28 | 15.2% | 64.3% |
| g6 | 4 | 2.2% | 50.0% |
| d5 | 4 | 2.2% | 37.5% |
| b5 | 1 | 0.5% | 0.0% |
William N Watson's chess games
All 894 games by William N Watson in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - 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: 350 wins, 334 draws, 210 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B43 | Sicilian | 45 | 15/20/10 | 33.3% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 28 | 8/11/9 | 28.6% |
| C15 | French: Winawer Variation | 28 | 17/8/3 | 60.7% |
| C91 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 27 | 12/9/6 | 44.4% |
| C26 | Vienna Game | 24 | 14/7/3 | 58.3% |
| B09 | Modern Defense | 21 | 10/8/3 | 47.6% |
| C05 | French: Tarrasch Variation | 19 | 8/8/3 | 42.1% |
| B09 | Pirc Defense | 16 | 10/4/2 | 62.5% |
| B21 | Sicilian: Grand Prix Attack | 16 | 8/2/6 | 50.0% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 16 | 2/10/4 | 12.5% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B70 | Sicilian: Dragon | 78 | 27/25/26 | 34.6% |
| E97 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 47 | 18/15/14 | 38.3% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 38 | 21/9/8 | 55.3% |
| E84 | King's Indian: Sämisch | 29 | 7/11/11 | 24.1% |
| E70 | King's Indian Defense | 26 | 11/7/8 | 42.3% |
| D00 | Indian Defense | 26 | 7/14/5 | 26.9% |
| B07 | Pirc Defense | 19 | 8/7/4 | 42.1% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 16 | 9/4/3 | 56.3% |
| A26 | English Opening | 14 | 2/5/7 | 14.3% |
| E73 | King's Indian Defense: Averbakh System | 14 | 6/4/4 | 42.9% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2022 | Georg Meier | 2,631 | Bundesliga 2021-22 | C10 |
| Feb 1985 | John D M Nunn | 2,615 | 3rd ch-Commonwealth | B70 |
| Aug 1980 | Florin Gheorghiu | 2,605 | 4th Lloyds Bank Open | E70 |
| Nov 1985 | Georgy Agzamov | 2,590 | Frunze International | A48 |
| Jan 1989 | Sergey Kudrin | 2,570 | GMA Baleares Open | B78 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London WFW | 1991 | 39 | 20.5 | 2,519 |
| ch-BCF | 1988 | 22 | 14 | 2,509 |
| London Phillips&Drew Knights | 1982 | 15 | 10 | 2,476 |
| Frunze International | 1985 | 14 | 8 | 2,522 |
| Arnold Cup | 1989 | 13 | 7.5 | 2,483 |
| Christmas Congress 1985/86-61 Premier | 1986 | 13 | 7 | 2,495 |
| Reykjavik | 1989 | 13 | 6 | 2,431 |
| Christmas Congress 1984/85-60 Premier | 1985 | 13 | 5 | 2,378 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Michael Adams (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 894 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find William N Watson's chess games?
894 games by William N Watson, from Apr 2003 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 William N Watson has played.
What does William N Watson play on the first move as White?
Across 440 games with White in our database, William N Watson opens with 1.e4 (95% of games), 1.Nc3 (2% of games), 1.g3 (1% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, William N Watson answers 1...c5 (72% of games), 1...c6 (13% of games), 1...g6 (11% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (80% of games), 1...d6 (15% of games), 1...g6 (2% of games).
What openings does William N Watson play as White?
As White, William N Watson's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (45 games, 33.3% win rate); Sicilian: Closed (28 games, 28.6% win rate); French: Winawer Variation (28 games, 60.7% win rate). The full breakdown of 440 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does William N Watson play as Black?
As Black, William N Watson most often plays: Sicilian: Dragon (78 games, 34.6% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (47 games, 38.3% win rate); Modern Defense (38 games, 55.3% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 454 games.
What is William N Watson's FIDE rating?
William N Watson is currently rated 2,468 in classical chess, 2,492 in rapid and 2,421 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,501 (May 2017).
How many games has William N Watson played?
Our database contains 894 games by William N Watson, covering Apr 2003 to Jul 2026. Overall record: 350 wins, 334 draws, 210 losses (39.1% win rate).
How do I prepare against William N Watson?
894 games by William N Watson 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.