Players
Yuriy Kuzubov
Photo: Stefan64, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
GM

Yuriy Kuzubov

UkraineBorn 1990 (age 36)FIDE ID 14112906

Luft classical

25002600270028002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2580
FIDE

FIDE classical

2200240026002800200320072011201520192023
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2571
Luft

Flair

Yuriy Kuzubov'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

Yuriy Kuzubov's classical titles

1 classical title, 2 medals, newest first

  • European Team Championship 2021Gold, team · Ukraine
  • European Team Championship 2019Silver, team · Ukraine
  • Ukrainian Championship 20141st
  • Ukrainian Championship 

Attributes

Tactics 74Positional 87Endgame 81Openings 77Composure 80Defence 76Speed 75Consistency 80

Luft classical rating

2580No. 136

From 21 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2593 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2593 level, blended with their FIDE rating+5
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year+7
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event0
Activity21 classical games in top events−3

Openings

Their most-played, from 36 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Queen's Gambit Declined367%
King's Indian Attack367%
Zukertort Opening333%
English Opening275%
Bogo-Indian Defense1100%

Queen's Gambit Declined

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

VariationGamesScore
Ragozin Defense250%
Three Knights Variation1100%

King's Indian Attack

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

VariationGamesScore
Keres Variation1100%
Double Fianchetto1100%
Main line10%

Zukertort Opening

With White: 3 games, won 0, drew 2, lost 1 · 33%

VariationGamesScore
Main line225%
Reversed Grünfeld150%

English Opening

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

VariationGamesScore
Symmetrical Variation1100%
King's English Variation150%

Bogo-Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Retreat Variation1100%

Petrov's Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Nimzowitsch Attack317%
Millennium Attack150%
Classical Attack150%
Modern Attack150%

Sicilian Defense

With Black: 5 games, won 0, drew 3, lost 2 · 30%

VariationGamesScore
Old Sicilian20%
Delayed Alapin Variation150%
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack150%
Czerniak Attack150%

Queen's Gambit Declined

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

VariationGamesScore
Exchange Variation225%
Barmen Variation10%

Ruy Lopez

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

VariationGamesScore
Berlin Defense250%

English Opening

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

VariationGamesScore
King's English Variation1100%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
sachy.cz Extraliga 2026/2731 Oct 2026½/1+1+1
German Bundesliga 2025/2626 Apr 20268½/13+9+11
IV President Cup Uzbekistan 202512 Dec 202510th−13−12
FIDE Grand Swiss 202515 Sep 2025=86th−1−5
Grand Prix Romania 202414 Jun 20249/14−30−32

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMR. Wojtaszek5 Sep 2025 · FIDE Grand Swiss 20252661
GMF. Svane7 Dec 2025 · IV President Cup Uzbekistan 20252653
GMD. Yuffa11 Sep 2025 · FIDE Grand Swiss 20252648
GMJ. Thybo11 Jan 2026 · German Bundesliga 2025/262581
GME. van den Doel28 Feb 2026 · German Bundesliga 2025/262557

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMNarayanan.S.LLast 3 Aug 2023 · FIDE World Cup 20232011
GMM. ManolacheLast 14 Jun 2024 · Grand Prix Romania 20242020
GMN. SarinLast 6 Dec 2025 · IV President Cup Uzbekistan 20252011
GMF. SvaneLast 7 Dec 2025 · IV President Cup Uzbekistan 20252101
GMP. MaghsoodlooLast 25 Oct 2023 · FIDE Grand Swiss 20231001

Compare Luft

GMYuriy KuzubovUkraine

Pick a player to compare with Yuriy Kuzubov

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.