Players
Levan Pantsulaia
Photo: Yunfan Zhao
GM

Levan Pantsulaia

GeorgiaBorn 1986 (age 40)FIDE ID 13602071

Luft classical

24002500260027002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2494
FIDE

FIDE classical

20002200240026002800200020052010201520202025
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2498
Luft

Flair

Levan Pantsulaia's classical flairs

0 of 19 earned 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
  • 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
  • AdaptableTactics and Positional both 90+
  • PositionalPositional 90+: slow, quiet games they steered
  • PodiumTop 3 in at least half of their elite events

No classical flair in the last year yet.

Trophy cabinet

Levan Pantsulaia's classical titles

5 classical titles, 2 medals, newest first

  • Georgian Championship 20251st
  • Georgian Championship 20221st
  • Georgian Championship 20211st
  • European Team Championship 2015Gold, board 3 · Georgia
  • Georgian Championship 20151st
  • Georgian Championship 20081st
  • European Team Championship 2007Bronze, board 3 · Georgia
  • Georgian Championship×5

Attributes

Tactics 64Positional 82Endgame 79Openings 74Composure 75Defence 74Speed 76Consistency 77

Luft classical rating

2494No. 286

From 14 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2553 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2553 level, blended with their FIDE rating+9
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year−10
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event+2
Activity14 classical games in top events−5

Openings

Their most-played, from 30 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
English Opening658%
King's Indian Attack475%
Réti Opening1100%
King's Indian Attack, with e6150%
King's Indian Defense10%

English Opening

With White: 6 games, won 2, drew 3, lost 1 · 58%

VariationGamesScore
Agincourt Defense2100%
Symmetrical Variation250%
Anglo-Indian Defense225%

King's Indian Attack

With White: 4 games, won 3, drew 0, lost 1 · 75%

VariationGamesScore
Sicilian Variation1100%
Double Fianchetto1100%
Keres Variation1100%
Symmetrical Defense10%

Réti Opening

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

VariationGamesScore
Reversed Blumenfeld Gambit1100%

King's Indian Attack, with e6

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

VariationGamesScore
Main line150%

King's Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Fianchetto Variation10%

Sicilian Defense

With Black: 6 games, won 2, drew 0, lost 4 · 33%

VariationGamesScore
Kan Variation450%
O'Kelly Variation10%
Delayed Alapin Variation10%

Caro-Kann Defense

With Black: 4 games, won 2, drew 1, lost 1 · 63%

VariationGamesScore
Advance Variation383%
Classical Variation10%

Benoni Defense

With Black: 3 games, won 0, drew 1, lost 2 · 17%

VariationGamesScore
Main line225%
Benoni-Indian Defense10%

English Opening

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

VariationGamesScore
Symmetrical Variation225%

Queen's Gambit Accepted

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

VariationGamesScore
Central Variation150%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
1st Chola Chess Open International Grandmasters Chess Tournament 20267 Nov 2026=20th−1−1
46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 202627 Sep 20265/7+6+5
European Individual Chess Championship 202619 Apr 2026=24th+16+17
FIDE World Cup 20252 Nov 2025½/2−2−1
European Team Chess Championship 202514 Oct 20254/6+17+15

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMD. Navara13 Apr 2026 · European Individual Chess Championship 20262643
GMP. Laurent-Paoli14 Oct 2025 · European Team Chess Championship 20252570
GMI. Can19 Apr 2026 · European Individual Chess Championship 20262563
B. Harsha31 Jul 2023 · FIDE World Cup 20232563
GMJ. Subelj12 Oct 2025 · European Team Chess Championship 20252545

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
B. HarshaLast 31 Jul 2023 · FIDE World Cup 20232101
GMM. CarlsenLast 3 Aug 2023 · FIDE World Cup 20232002
GMJ. Santos LatasaLast 27 Sep 2026 · 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 20262011
GMI. ZemlyanskiiLast 2 Nov 2025 · FIDE World Cup 20252011
IMS. MovahedLast 13 Sep 2024 · 45th Chess Olympiad Budapest 20241100

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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.