Players
Grigoriy Oparin
Photo: Charlotte Chess Center
GM

Grigoriy Oparin

United StatesBorn 1997 (age 29)FIDE ID 24125890

Luft classical

25002600270028002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2682
FIDE

FIDE classical

2000220024002600280020072011201520192023
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2656
Luft

Flair

Grigoriy Oparin's classical flairs

1 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • Chameleon8 different defences in 9 games with black
  • 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
  • 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
  • Chameleon

Trophy cabinet

No classical titles on record yet.

Attributes

Tactics 82Positional 84Endgame 87Openings 84Composure 93Defence 84Speed 83Consistency 81

Luft classical rating

2682No. 43

From 19 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2741 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2741 level, blended with their FIDE rating+29
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year+6
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event−5
Activity19 classical games in top events−4

Openings

Their most-played, from 40 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Sicilian Defense570%
Ruy Lopez475%
French Defense2100%
Italian Game275%
Petrov's Defense1100%

Sicilian Defense

With White: 5 games, won 2, drew 3, lost 0 · 70%

VariationGamesScore
Closed1100%
Moscow Variation1100%
French Variation150%
Najdorf Variation150%
Scheveningen Variation150%

Ruy Lopez

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

VariationGamesScore
Closed367%
Morphy Defense1100%

French Defense

With White: 2 games, won 2, drew 0, lost 0 · 100%

VariationGamesScore
Winawer Variation2100%

Italian Game

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

VariationGamesScore
Classical Variation1100%
Giuoco Pianissimo150%

Petrov's Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Classical Attack1100%

Sicilian Defense

With Black: 5 games, won 0, drew 4, lost 1 · 40%

VariationGamesScore
Four Knights Variation150%
Najdorf Variation150%
Hyperaccelerated Dragon150%
Alapin Variation150%
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack10%

Caro-Kann Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Advance Variation150%
Two Knights Attack150%

Queen's Pawn Game

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

VariationGamesScore
Colle System150%
Accelerated London System150%

Queen's Gambit Declined

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

VariationGamesScore
Exchange Variation10%
Main line10%

Rapport-Jobava System

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

VariationGamesScore
Main line1100%

Recent events

EventPlace+/−+/−
U.S. Chess Championships 202621 Oct 2026=3rd+18+22
2026 Saint Louis Masters1 Mar 20264½/8−15−12
FIDE World Cup 20255 Nov 20251/2−2−2
FIDE Grand Swiss 202515 Sep 2025=27th+10
Qatar Masters 202320 Oct 20235/8−9−8

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMS. Sevian12 Oct 2026 · U.S. Chess Championships 20262708
GMA. Liang16 Oct 2026 · U.S. Chess Championships 20262685
GMS. Shankland19 Oct 2026 · U.S. Chess Championships 20262646
GMD. Anton Guijarro14 Sep 2025 · FIDE Grand Swiss 20252625
GME. Najer7 Sep 2025 · FIDE Grand Swiss 20252613

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMD. DardhaLast 5 Nov 2025 · FIDE World Cup 20252020
IMI. MsellekLast 11 Oct 2023 · Qatar Masters 20231010
IMZou ChenLast 12 Oct 2023 · Qatar Masters 20231010
IMK. NjiliLast 13 Oct 2023 · Qatar Masters 20231010
GMS. MousaviLast 15 Oct 2023 · Qatar Masters 20231010

Compare Luft

GMGrigoriy OparinUnited States

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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.