Players
Leonardo Costa
Photo: Stefan64, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
GM

Leonardo Costa

GermanyBorn 2008 (age 18)FIDE ID 16213955

Luft classical

2200240026002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2575
FIDE

FIDE classical

15001750200022502500201620182020202220242026
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2557
Luft

Flair

Leonardo Costa's classical flairs

1 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • ReliableConsistent across all top events (average performance 2579)
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Reliable

Trophy cabinet

Leonardo Costa's classical titles

2 classical titles, newest first

  • German Championship×2

Attributes

Tactics 77Positional 83Endgame 78Openings 78Composure 74Defence 78Speed 62Consistency 85

Luft classical rating

2575No. 139

From 37 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2599 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2599 level, blended with their FIDE rating+15
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year−4
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event+5
Activity37 classical games in top events+2

Openings

Their most-played, from 61 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Sicilian Defense1759%
Italian Game642%
French Defense367%
Ruy Lopez275%
Philidor Defense150%

Sicilian Defense

With White: 17 games, won 4, drew 12, lost 1 · 59%

VariationGamesScore
Najdorf Variation750%
Richter-Rauzer Variation367%
Prins Variation1100%
Lasker-Pelikan Variation1100%
Four Knights Variation150%
Kan Variation150%
French Variation150%
Scheveningen Variation150%
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack150%

Italian Game

With White: 6 games, won 1, drew 3, lost 2 · 42%

VariationGamesScore
Classical Variation540%
Giuoco Pianissimo150%

French Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Advance Variation275%
Chigorin Variation150%

Ruy Lopez

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

VariationGamesScore
Morphy Defense1100%
Open150%

Philidor Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Lion Variation150%

Italian Game

With Black: 7 games, won 0, drew 2, lost 5 · 14%

VariationGamesScore
Classical Variation317%
Two Knights Defense225%
Giuoco Pianissimo20%

Ruy Lopez

With Black: 5 games, won 2, drew 2, lost 1 · 60%

VariationGamesScore
Morphy Defense350%
Open275%

Catalan Opening

With Black: 4 games, won 0, drew 3, lost 1 · 38%

VariationGamesScore
Open Defense250%
Closed225%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With Black: 3 games, won 2, drew 1, lost 0 · 83%

VariationGamesScore
Barmen Variation1100%
Main line1100%
Exchange Variation150%

Queen's Pawn Game

With Black: 3 games, won 1, drew 1, lost 1 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Accelerated London System1100%
Symmetrical Variation150%
Colle System10%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
29th Open Bavarian Chess Championship7 Nov 20262/3+10
German Bundesliga 2026/2711 Oct 20261½/3+2+1
German Chess Championship 202625 Jul 20264½/7+15+16
German Bundesliga 2025/2626 Apr 20266½/15+5+3
European Individual Chess Championship 202619 Apr 2026=53rd−4−6

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMA. Shirov26 Feb 2023 · Bundesliga 20222662
GMJ. Bjerre8 Feb 2026 · German Bundesliga 2025/262629
GMD. Wagner19 Jul 2026 · German Chess Championship 20262589
GML. Engel18 Jul 2026 · German Chess Championship 20262588
GMM. Kraemer15 May 2025 · German Championship Masters 20252581

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMR. SvaneLast 23 Jul 2026 · German Chess Championship 20264040
GMD. WagnerLast 19 Jul 2026 · German Chess Championship 20264130
GMR. VogelLast 6 Nov 2026 · 29th Open Bavarian Chess Championship3021
GMN. HuschenbethLast 17 Jul 2026 · German Chess Championship 20263021
GMD. KollarsLast 25 Jul 2026 · German Chess Championship 20263030

Compare Luft

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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.