Players
IM

Xie Kaifan

ChinaBorn 2008 (age 18)FIDE ID 8619107

Luft classical

2200240026002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2472
FIDE

FIDE classical

1500175020002250250020182020202220242026
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2452
Luft

Flair

Xie Kaifan's classical flairs

1 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • RisingRating increased by +53 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
  • 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
  • Rising

Trophy cabinet

No classical titles on record yet.

Attributes

Tactics 71Positional 73Endgame 79Openings 71Composure 64Defence 73Speed 55Consistency 76

Luft classical rating

2472No. 323

From 13 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2596 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2596 level, blended with their FIDE rating+25
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year−1
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event+2
Activity13 classical games in top events−6

Openings

Their most-played, from 24 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Queen's Gambit Declined642%
Queen's Gambit Accepted350%
King's Indian Defense275%
Dutch Defense150%
Queen's Indian Defense150%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With White: 6 games, won 0, drew 5, lost 1 · 42%

VariationGamesScore
Ragozin Defense350%
Westphalian Variation150%
Semi-Tarrasch Defense150%
Three Knights Variation10%

Queen's Gambit Accepted

With White: 3 games, won 0, drew 3, lost 0 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Classical Defense250%
Main line150%

King's Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Orthodox Variation275%

Dutch Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Hopton Attack150%

Queen's Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Fianchetto Variation150%

Caro-Kann Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Classical Variation250%
Advance Variation225%

English Opening

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

VariationGamesScore
King's English Variation150%
Agincourt Defense10%

Queen's Gambit Declined

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

VariationGamesScore
Ragozin Defense225%

Queen's Gambit Accepted

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

VariationGamesScore
Classical Defense1100%

Four Knights Game

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

VariationGamesScore
Scotch Variation Accepted150%

Recent events

EventPlace+/−+/−
2026 Chinese Chess League Division A31 Oct 20264½/10+11+6
2026 Chinese Team Chess Championship26 Apr 2026=16th+6+6
V Open Chess Menorca 202612 Apr 2026=34th+13+14
2025 Chinese Chess League Division A 中国国际象棋甲级联赛 Relegation Playoffs 总决赛保级组27 Jan 2026½/20+1
2025 Chinese Chess League Division A 中国国际象棋甲级联赛5 Oct 20254½/11+5+3

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMA. Hong11 Apr 2026 · V Open Chess Menorca 20262598
GMA. Abdisalimov12 Apr 2026 · V Open Chess Menorca 20262553
IMLou Yiping24 Apr 2026 · 2026 Chinese Team Chess Championship2419
GMLi Shilong22 Apr 2026 · 2026 Chinese Team Chess Championship2369
Huang Zhi21 Apr 2026 · 2026 Chinese Team Chess Championship2023

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMWang YueLast 29 Oct 2026 · 2026 Chinese Chess League Division A2020
IMMeng YihanLast 29 Jun 2026 · 2026 Chinese Chess League Division A2020
GMBu XiangzhiLast 27 Jun 2026 · 2026 Chinese Chess League Division A2011
GMLu ShangleiLast 27 Jan 2026 · 2025 Chinese Chess League Division A 中国国际象棋甲级联赛 Relegation Playoffs 总决赛保级组2011
GMYu YangyiLast 26 Jun 2026 · 2026 Chinese Chess League Division A2020

Compare Luft

XK
IMXie KaifanChina

Pick a player to compare with Xie Kaifan

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.