Players
Daniel Dardha
Photo: Stefan64, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
GM

Daniel Dardha

BelgiumBorn 2005 (age 21)FIDE ID 240990

Luft classical

25002600270028002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2630
FIDE

FIDE classical

15002000250020142017202020232026
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2623
Luft

Flair

Daniel Dardha's classical flairs

1 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • ReliableConsistent across all top events (average performance 2645)
  • 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

Daniel Dardha's classical titles

5 classical titles, 1 medal, newest first

  • Belgian Championship 20261st
  • Belgian Championship 20241st
  • European Team Championship 2023Bronze, board 1 · Belgium
  • Belgian Championship 20221st
  • Belgian Championship 20211st
  • Belgian Championship 20191st
  • Belgian Championship×5

Attributes

Tactics 83Positional 76Endgame 80Openings 80Composure 80Defence 89Speed 78Consistency 70

Luft classical rating

2630No. 82

From 33 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2620 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2620 level, blended with their FIDE rating−1
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year0
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event+7
Activity33 classical games in top events+1

Openings

Their most-played, from 118 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Sicilian Defense956%
Nimzo-Indian Defense863%
Queen's Gambit Declined863%
English Opening683%
Ruy Lopez560%

Sicilian Defense

With White: 9 games, won 2, drew 6, lost 1 · 56%

VariationGamesScore
Alapin Variation350%
Kan Variation275%
O'Kelly Variation1100%
Closed150%
Four Knights Variation150%
Najdorf Variation10%

Nimzo-Indian Defense

With White: 8 games, won 3, drew 4, lost 1 · 63%

VariationGamesScore
Normal Variation367%
Classical Variation250%
Sämisch Variation1100%
Kmoch Variation1100%
Main line10%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With White: 8 games, won 4, drew 2, lost 2 · 63%

VariationGamesScore
Exchange Variation475%
Traditional Variation250%
Vienna Variation1100%
Main line10%

English Opening

With White: 6 games, won 4, drew 2, lost 0 · 83%

VariationGamesScore
Anglo-Indian Defense2100%
Agincourt Defense275%
Symmetrical1100%
King's English Variation150%

Ruy Lopez

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

VariationGamesScore
Morphy Defense275%
Open1100%
Closed150%
Berlin Defense10%

Sicilian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack250%
Richter-Rauzer Variation225%
Najdorf Variation1100%
Lasker-Pelikan Variation1100%
Moscow Variation1100%
Kan Variation1100%
Taimanov Variation1100%
Classical Variation150%
O'Kelly Variation150%
Scheveningen Variation150%
French Variation150%
Chekhover Variation10%

Ruy Lopez

With Black: 7 games, won 2, drew 5, lost 0 · 64%

VariationGamesScore
Berlin Defense667%
Morphy Defense150%

English Opening

With Black: 6 games, won 1, drew 4, lost 1 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Agincourt Defense250%
King's English Variation250%
Anglo-Indian Defense1100%
Symmetrical Variation10%

Nimzo-Indian Defense

With Black: 4 games, won 1, drew 2, lost 1 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
St. Petersburg Variation1100%
Classical Variation150%
Normal Variation150%
Three Knights Variation10%

Caro-Kann Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Endgame Offer1100%
Advance Variation1100%
Exchange Variation150%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
41st European Chess Club Cup 202623 Oct 20265½/7+4+5
Romanian Team Chess Championships 202611 Oct 20263½/5+1+1
Dutch Meesterklasse 202619 Sep 20260/1−6−6
Chess Slovak Open Skalica 202629 Aug 2026=4th+5+8
German Bundesliga 2025/2626 Apr 20264/7+1+3

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMD. Navara18 Nov 2024 · European Individual Chess Championship 20242674
GMM. Yilmaz21 Jan 2024 · Tata Steel Challengers 20242665
GMV. Murzin23 Oct 2025 · European Chess Club Cup 20252664
GMK. Alekseenko5 Apr 2024 · Menorca Open 20242655
GMJ. Santos Latasa17 Nov 2024 · European Individual Chess Championship 20242630

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMJ. PechacLast 27 Aug 2026 · Chess Slovak Open Skalica 20264220
GMD. NavaraLast 22 Oct 2026 · 41st European Chess Club Cup 20264112
W. GohLast 31 Jul 2023 · FIDE World Cup 20232110
GMV. KeymerLast 3 Aug 2023 · FIDE World Cup 20232011
GMD. KadricLast 2 Dec 2023 · Bundesliga 2023/242200

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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.