Players
Anna Zatonskih
Photo: Stefan64, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
IM

Anna Zatonskih

United StatesBorn 1978 (age 48)FIDE ID 14101572

Luft classical

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Monthly Luft ratings, now 2312
FIDE

FIDE classical

22002300240025002600201620182020202220242026
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2319
Luft

Flair

Anna Zatonskih's classical flairs

1 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • SignatureFrench Defense in 6 of 11 games with black, among the best women
  • 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
  • IronmanPlayed 50+ games over the last 12 months
  • 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
  • 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
  • Signature

Trophy cabinet

Anna Zatonskih's classical titles

5 classical titles, 5 medals, newest first

  • Women's Chess Olympiad 2024Bronze, team · United States
  • US Championship 20111st
  • US Championship 20091st
  • Women's Chess Olympiad 2008Gold, board 2 · United States
  • Women's Chess Olympiad 2008Bronze, team · United States
  • US Championship 20081st
  • U.S. Championship 20061st
  • Women's Chess Olympiad 2004Silver, team · United States
  • Ukrainian Championship 20011st
  • European Women's Team Championship 1999Silver, board 2
  • US Championship×3
  • U.S. Championship 
  • Ukrainian Championship 

Attributes

Tactics 64Positional 65Endgame 67Openings 63Composure 56Defence 66Speed 53Consistency 58

Luft classical rating

2312No. 449

From 22 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2278 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2278 level, blended with their FIDE rating−4
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year+3
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event−3
Activity22 classical games in top events−3

Openings

Their most-played, from 22 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Queen's Gambit Declined413%
King's Indian Defense250%
Bogo-Indian Defense225%
Slav Defense1100%
Indian Defense150%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With White: 4 games, won 0, drew 1, lost 3 · 13%

VariationGamesScore
Main line225%
Exchange Variation10%
Ragozin Defense10%

King's Indian Defense

With White: 2 games, won 1, drew 0, lost 1 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Fianchetto Variation250%

Bogo-Indian Defense

With White: 2 games, won 0, drew 1, lost 1 · 25%

VariationGamesScore
Retreat Variation150%
Wade-Smyslov Variation10%

Slav Defense

With White: 1 game, won 1, drew 0, lost 0 · 100%

VariationGamesScore
Modern Line1100%

Indian Defense

With White: 1 game, won 0, drew 1, lost 0 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Anti-Nimzo-Indian150%

French Defense

With Black: 6 games, won 1, drew 2, lost 3 · 33%

VariationGamesScore
Rubinstein Variation317%
Advance Variation1100%
King's Indian Attack150%
Exchange Variation10%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With Black: 3 games, won 1, drew 2, lost 0 · 67%

VariationGamesScore
Main line1100%
Orthodox Defense150%
Charousek Variation150%

Zukertort Opening

With Black: 1 game, won 0, drew 1, lost 0 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Main line150%

Catalan Opening

With Black: 1 game, won 0, drew 1, lost 0 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Open Defense150%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
U.S. Chess Championships 202621 Oct 2026=7th−10−7
German Bundesliga 2026/273 Oct 20261/1+7+7
French TOP 12 202617 May 20261½/3+1+1
German Bundesliga 2025/2619 Apr 20261½/4−13−14
American Cup 20265 Mar 20261½/4+2+1

Best wins

OpponentRating
IMA. Sargsyan5 Mar 2026 · American Cup 20262380
IMR. Atwell9 Oct 2026 · U.S. Chess Championships 20262325
IMA. Zozulia22 Feb 2026 · German Bundesliga 2025/262231
WIMA. Ziegenfuss3 Oct 2026 · German Bundesliga 2026/272208
S. Aflalo14 May 2026 · French TOP 12 20262155

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
IMC. YipLast 15 Oct 2026 · U.S. Chess Championships 20263012
IMA. SargsyanLast 14 Oct 2026 · U.S. Chess Championships 20263111
IMA. ZozuliaLast 22 Feb 2026 · German Bundesliga 2025/262110
WFMA. CiolacuLast 12 Mar 2023 · Bundesliga 20221100
R. Al-QudahLast 11 Sep 2024 · 45th Chess Olympiad Budapest 20241100

Compare Luft

IMAnna ZatonskihUnited States

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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.