Players
Nihal Sarin
Photo: Yunfan Zhao
GM

Nihal Sarin

IndiaBorn 2004 (age 22)FIDE ID 25092340

Playing now: Asian Nations Chess Cup 2026

Luft classical

26002700280029002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2715
FIDE

FIDE classical

15002000250020122015201820212024
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2720
Luft

Flair

Nihal Sarin's classical flairs

4 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • Lightning#11 at speed chess (blitz 2749, rapid 2739)
  • PositionalPositional 90, from 19 positional games they steered
  • Hot Streak5 wins and 2 draws in 7 straight games
  • Fighter59% decisive: 17 wins, 5 losses
  • 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
  • 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
  • AdaptableTactics and Positional both 90+
  • PodiumTop 3 in at least half of their elite events
  • Lightning
  • Positional
  • Hot Streak

Trophy cabinet

Nihal Sarin's classical titles

2 classical titles, newest first

Attributes

Tactics 82Positional 90Endgame 84Openings 86Composure 89Defence 89Speed 91Consistency 88

Luft classical rating

2715No. 21

From 37 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2726 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2726 level, blended with their FIDE rating+3
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year−6
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event−4
Activity37 classical games in top events+2

Openings

Their most-played, from 113 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Sicilian Defense1461%
English Opening570%
Ruy Lopez488%
Queen's Pawn Game475%
Queen's Gambit Declined475%

Sicilian Defense

With White: 14 games, won 5, drew 7, lost 2 · 61%

VariationGamesScore
Najdorf Variation350%
Modern Variations350%
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack275%
French Variation1100%
Old Sicilian1100%
Chekhover Variation1100%
Richter-Rauzer Variation150%
Closed150%
Alapin Variation10%

English Opening

With White: 5 games, won 3, drew 1, lost 1 · 70%

VariationGamesScore
Agincourt Defense2100%
Anglo-Indian Defense250%
King's English Variation150%

Ruy Lopez

With White: 4 games, won 3, drew 1, lost 0 · 88%

VariationGamesScore
Closed275%
Morphy Defense1100%
Open1100%

Queen's Pawn Game

With White: 4 games, won 2, drew 2, lost 0 · 75%

VariationGamesScore
Symmetrical Variation2100%
Colle System150%
London System150%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With White: 4 games, won 2, drew 2, lost 0 · 75%

VariationGamesScore
Exchange Variation2100%
Three Knights Variation250%

Ruy Lopez

With Black: 11 games, won 1, drew 7, lost 3 · 41%

VariationGamesScore
Closed438%
Berlin Defense333%
Cozio Defense225%
Classical Variation1100%
Morphy Defense150%

Sicilian Defense

With Black: 8 games, won 1, drew 4, lost 3 · 38%

VariationGamesScore
Najdorf Variation425%
French Variation1100%
Alapin Variation150%
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack150%
Taimanov Variation10%

Queen's Gambit Declined

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

VariationGamesScore
Exchange Variation2100%
Janowski Variation250%
Semi-Tarrasch Defense150%
Queen's Knight Variation10%

English Opening

With Black: 3 games, won 3, drew 0, lost 0 · 100%

VariationGamesScore
Agincourt Defense1100%
Symmetrical Variation1100%
Anglo-Indian Defense1100%

Bogo-Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Retreat Variation275%
Wade-Smyslov Variation1100%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
Asian Nations Chess Cup 202613 Nov 20263½/6−10−9
41st European Chess Club Cup 202623 Oct 20265/6+11+11
46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 202627 Sep 20266/10−9−11
Chennai Grand Masters 202622 Jul 2026=4th+1−2
German Bundesliga 2025/2622 Mar 20263½/4+6+5

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMA. Erigaisi10 Aug 2025 · Chennai Grand Masters 20252776
GMJ. van Foreest22 Oct 2026 · 41st European Chess Club Cup 20262716
GMP. Maghsoodloo11 Sep 2025 · FIDE Grand Swiss 20252692
GMR. Robson13 Aug 2025 · Chennai Grand Masters 20252687
GMS. Sargsyan8 Dec 2025 · IV President Cup Uzbekistan 20252665

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMV. PranavLast 7 Sep 2025 · FIDE Grand Swiss 20254121
GMJ. Santos LatasaLast 19 Sep 2026 · 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 20263021
GMM. KarthikeyanLast 23 Oct 2026 · 41st European Chess Club Cup 20263111
GMA. EsipenkoLast 12 Nov 2026 · Asian Nations Chess Cup 20262011
GMP. EljanovLast 28 Apr 2024 · Bundesliga 2023/242020

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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.