Players
Alexander Donchenko
Photo: Biel International Chess Festival
GM

Alexander Donchenko

GermanyBorn 1998 (age 28)FIDE ID 24603295

Luft classical

25002600270028002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2612
FIDE

FIDE classical

1750200022502500275020082012201620202024
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2611
Luft

Flair

Alexander Donchenko's classical flairs

1 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • Ironman77 classical games over the last 12 months
  • TitanLuft classical rating averaging 2800+ over the last 4 years
  • Serial WinnerWon 2+ elite events in the last 12 months
  • UnderdogRegularly beats players rated 50+ higher
  • Fortress25+ games in a row without a loss
  • Black BeltDoes better with black than with white
  • RisingAged 18 or under, Luft rating up 40+ over the last 12 months
  • Endgame SpecialistEndgame 90+: converting, saving and not throwing endgames
  • TacticianTactics 90+: sharp, tactical games they made sharp
  • LightningTop 20 at speed chess (mostly blitz, some rapid)
  • Hot StreakAt least 6 points from 7 straight games against strong opposition
  • SignatureSticks to one defence with black far more than most
  • ChameleonPlays a wide range of defences with black
  • WildcardBrilliant one event, off the next: hard to predict
  • ReliableConsistent across all top events
  • FighterRarely draws, and wins far more than they lose
  • AdaptableTactics and Positional both 90+
  • PositionalPositional 90+: slow, quiet games they steered
  • PodiumTop 3 in at least half of their elite events
  • Ironman

Trophy cabinet

Alexander Donchenko's classical titles

1 classical title, 3 medals, newest first

Attributes

Tactics 79Positional 81Endgame 78Openings 80Composure 84Defence 84Speed 74Consistency 86

Luft classical rating

2612No. 101

From 77 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2611 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2611 level, blended with their FIDE rating0
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year−10
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event+3
Activity77 classical games in top events+8

Openings

Their most-played, from 178 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Queen's Gambit Declined1864%
English Opening1672%
King's Indian Defense875%
Nimzo-Indian Defense764%
Catalan Opening650%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With White: 18 games, won 6, drew 11, lost 1 · 64%

VariationGamesScore
Exchange Variation961%
Three Knights Variation367%
Harrwitz Attack250%
Janowski Variation1100%
Charousek Variation1100%
Barmen Variation150%
Ragozin Defense150%

English Opening

With White: 16 games, won 8, drew 7, lost 1 · 72%

VariationGamesScore
King's English Variation764%
Anglo-Indian Defense590%
Agincourt Defense275%
Symmetrical Variation250%

King's Indian Defense

With White: 8 games, won 5, drew 2, lost 1 · 75%

VariationGamesScore
Orthodox Variation488%
Petrosian Variation275%
Fianchetto Variation1100%
Normal Variation10%

Nimzo-Indian Defense

With White: 7 games, won 3, drew 3, lost 1 · 64%

VariationGamesScore
Normal Variation463%
Rubinstein System1100%
Classical Variation150%
Three Knights Variation150%

Catalan Opening

With White: 6 games, won 1, drew 4, lost 1 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Closed367%
Open Defense333%

Sicilian Defense

With Black: 27 games, won 5, drew 16, lost 6 · 48%

VariationGamesScore
Najdorf Variation1040%
Modern Variations560%
Moscow Variation383%
French Variation250%
Four Knights Variation225%
Alapin Variation150%
Delayed Alapin Variation150%
Scheveningen Variation150%
Smith-Morra Gambit150%
Closed10%

Caro-Kann Defense

With Black: 16 games, won 8, drew 4, lost 4 · 63%

VariationGamesScore
Advance Variation956%
Maróczy Variation2100%
Two Knights Attack250%
Classical Variation250%
Panov Attack1100%

English Opening

With Black: 6 games, won 3, drew 2, lost 1 · 67%

VariationGamesScore
Symmetrical Variation450%
Anglo-Indian Defense1100%
Four Knights System1100%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With Black: 6 games, won 0, drew 6, lost 0 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Ragozin Defense550%
Three Knights150%

Ruy Lopez

With Black: 4 games, won 0, drew 4, lost 0 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Berlin Defense150%
Morphy Defense150%
Closed150%
Exchange Variation150%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
29th Open Bavarian Chess Championship8 Nov 20262½/4−2−3
German Bundesliga 2026/2711 Oct 20262/30−1
46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 202625 Sep 20263½/6−1−2
Chess Slovak Open Skalica 202630 Aug 20269th−14−18
German Chess Championship 202625 Jul 20264½/7+4+3

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMA. Giri8 Nov 2025 · FIDE World Cup 20252769
GMA. Firouzja23 Jan 2024 · Tata Steel Masters 20242759
GMV. Keymer23 May 2025 · German Championship Masters 20252720
GMM. Tabatabaei27 Jan 2023 · Tata Steel Challengers 20232686
GMP. Eljanov13 Sep 2025 · FIDE Grand Swiss 20252682

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMD. WagnerLast 18 Jul 2026 · German Chess Championship 20263021
GMM. BartelLast 3 Feb 2024 · Bundesliga 2023/243030
GMP. MaghsoodlooLast 27 Jan 2024 · Tata Steel Masters 20243021
GMS. MartinovicLast 11 Jan 2026 · German Bundesliga 2025/263030
GMA. GiriLast 8 Nov 2025 · FIDE World Cup 20253111

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How attributes are calculated

From their games in top events over the last 12 months, each judged against the opponent's rating

  • TacticsHow well they score in sharp games they chose to make sharp.
  • PositionalHow well they score in quiet, manoeuvring games they steered.
  • EndgameHow they do in endgames against what the position promised when it began: converting a winning one earns a little, saving a losing one earns a lot, and throwing a winning one costs a lot.
  • OpeningsThe engine's verdict on their position around moves 15 to 20, against what's normal for that colour, as the score it points to. Over the last 4 years, with older games counting less.
  • ComposureHow well they score under pressure: the game straight after a loss, and the last 3 games of an event while they can still win it. Over the last 4 years.
  • DefenceHow they do in games where they were 0.8 pawns or more worse after move 18, against what that position usually scores: holding the draw earns, turning it around earns more, and losing costs a little.
  • SpeedTheir Luft rapid and blitz ratings. With neither, an estimate a little below their classical level.
  • ConsistencyTheir Luft rating, less their off days: tournaments (5+ games each) over the last 4 years where they played 50+ below it. Anything better never counts against them.

  • "How well they score" is a performance rating: the opponent's rating, plus 400 for a win and minus 400 for a loss, averaged. So it's always judged against who they played.

    The score out of 100: 80 is a 2600 level, and each 13 rating points adds one, so 2860 and up is 100.

    Fair to everyone: with only a few games of a kind, the result leans towards their overall Luft rating. Strengths and weaknesses are measured against their overall level and compared with the top 100, so a specialist's best side stands out. A little recent form is added to all but Speed.