Players
Hou Yifan
Photo: Andreas Kontokanis, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
GM

Hou Yifan

ChinaBorn 1994 (age 32)FIDE ID 8602980

Luft classical

25002600270028002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2584
FIDE

FIDE classical

2200240026002800200420082012201620202024
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2596
Luft

Flair

Hou Yifan's classical flairs

2 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • TitanLuft classical rating averaged 2619 over the last 4 years, among the best women
  • AdaptableTactics and Positional both among the best women
  • 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
  • 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
  • PositionalPositional 90+: slow, quiet games they steered
  • PodiumTop 3 in at least half of their elite events
  • Titan
  • Adaptable

Trophy cabinet

Hou Yifan's classical titles

6 classical titles, newest first

  • World Championship 20161st
  • World Championship 20131st
  • World Championship 20111st
  • World Championship 20101st
  • Chinese Championship 20081st
  • Chinese Championship 20071st
  • World Championship×4
  • Chinese Championship×2

Attributes

Tactics 79Positional 81Endgame 75Openings 81Composure 69Defence 81Speed 74Consistency 79

Luft classical rating

2584No. 130

From 12 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2484 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2484 level, blended with their FIDE rating−6
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year0
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event0
Activity12 classical games in top events−6

Openings

Their most-played, from 14 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Ruy Lopez250%
Sicilian Defense1100%
Italian Game150%
Nimzo-Indian Defense150%
French Defense10%

Ruy Lopez

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

VariationGamesScore
Closed1100%
Morphy Defense10%

Sicilian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Closed1100%

Italian Game

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

VariationGamesScore
Classical Variation150%

Nimzo-Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Classical Variation150%

French Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Steinitz Variation10%

French Defense

With Black: 2 games, won 1, drew 1, lost 0 · 75%

VariationGamesScore
Exchange Variation1100%
Rubinstein Variation150%

Sicilian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Moscow Variation1100%
Alapin Variation10%

Queen's Gambit Declined

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

VariationGamesScore
Neo-Orthodox Variation1100%

Nimzo-Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Three Knights Variation150%

Slav Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Quiet Variation150%

Recent events

EventPlace+/−+/−
2025 Chinese Chess League Division A 中国国际象棋甲级联赛 Finals 总决赛争冠组13 Jan 20262½/6−17−15
FIDE World Team Championship 202522 Nov 20253½/6−7−6
2025 Chinese Chess League Division A 中国国际象棋甲级联赛5 Oct 202510½/11+11+11

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMA. Goryachkina22 Nov 2025 · FIDE World Team Championship 20252540
GMTan Zhongyi9 Jan 2026 · 2025 Chinese Chess League Division A 中国国际象棋甲级联赛 Finals 总决赛争冠组2524
IMLu Miaoyi31 Aug 2025 · 2025 Chinese Chess League Division A 中国国际象棋甲级联赛2439
GMZhao Xue4 Oct 2025 · 2025 Chinese Chess League Division A 中国国际象棋甲级联赛2438
WGMNi Shiqun27 Aug 2025 · 2025 Chinese Chess League Division A 中国国际象棋甲级联赛2339

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
IMLu MiaoyiLast 13 Jan 2026 · 2025 Chinese Chess League Division A 中国国际象棋甲级联赛 Finals 总决赛争冠组5122
IMC. YipLast 21 Nov 2025 · FIDE World Team Championship 20252011
GMA. GoryachkinaLast 22 Nov 2025 · FIDE World Team Championship 20252110
GMTan ZhongyiLast 9 Jan 2026 · 2025 Chinese Chess League Division A 中国国际象棋甲级联赛 Finals 总决赛争冠组2110
WGMNi ShiqunLast 27 Aug 2025 · 2025 Chinese Chess League Division A 中国国际象棋甲级联赛1100

Compare Luft

GMHou YifanChina

Pick a player to compare with Hou Yifan

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.