Players
Gudmundur Kjartansson
Photo: Yunfan Zhao
GM

Gudmundur Kjartansson

IcelandBorn 1988 (age 38)FIDE ID 2301318

Luft classical

23002400250026002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2411
FIDE

FIDE classical

2300240025002600201620182020202220242026
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2413
Luft

Flair

Gudmundur Kjartansson's classical flairs

1 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • Underdog3 wins against players rated 50+ higher
  • TitanLuft classical rating averaging 2800+ over the last 4 years
  • Serial WinnerWon 2+ elite events in the last 12 months
  • 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
  • Underdog

Trophy cabinet

No classical titles on record yet.

Attributes

Tactics 68Positional 68Endgame 77Openings 65Composure 65Defence 73Speed 59Consistency 70

Luft classical rating

2411No. 388

From 13 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2397 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2397 level, blended with their FIDE rating−2
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year+5
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event+1
Activity13 classical games in top events−6

Openings

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

OpeningGamesScore
English Opening463%
Sicilian Defense413%
Ruy Lopez317%
Semi-Slav Defense225%
Queen's Gambit Accepted150%

English Opening

With White: 4 games, won 2, drew 1, lost 1 · 63%

VariationGamesScore
Symmetrical Variation2100%
King's English Variation150%
Mikenas-Carls Variation10%

Sicilian Defense

With White: 4 games, won 0, drew 1, lost 3 · 13%

VariationGamesScore
Moscow Variation150%
O'Kelly Variation10%
Taimanov Variation10%
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack10%

Ruy Lopez

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

VariationGamesScore
Closed150%
Classical Variation10%
Morphy Defense10%

Semi-Slav Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Normal Variation150%
Moscow Variation10%

Queen's Gambit Accepted

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

VariationGamesScore
Rosenthal Variation150%

Ruy Lopez

With Black: 5 games, won 1, drew 3, lost 1 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Berlin Defense450%
Closed150%

English Opening

With Black: 3 games, won 1, drew 1, lost 1 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Anglo-Indian Defense1100%
Mikenas-Carls Variation150%
Agincourt Defense10%

Nimzo-Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Classical Variation1100%
Sämisch Variation1100%

Queen's Gambit Declined

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

VariationGamesScore
Traditional Variation275%

Queen's Pawn Game

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

VariationGamesScore
London System250%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 202627 Sep 20265½/8+7+13
German Bundesliga 2025/2626 Apr 20262/7−5−9
Reykjavik Open 202631 Mar 2026=23rd+6+4
European Chess Club Cup 202524 Oct 20251/3−1−2
European Team Chess Championship 202514 Oct 20254½/7+11+6

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMA. Naiditsch15 Sep 2024 · 45th Chess Olympiad Budapest 20242643
GMR. Dautov4 Feb 2024 · Bundesliga 2023/242583
GMJ. Thybo14 Oct 2025 · European Team Chess Championship 20252578
GMB. Adhiban20 Mar 2024 · Reykjavik Open 20242541
GMS. Brunello24 Sep 2026 · 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 20262536

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMJ. ThyboLast 14 Oct 2025 · European Team Chess Championship 20252110
GMB. AminLast 6 Dec 2025 · German Bundesliga 2025/262011
GMI. GorshteinLast 13 Oct 2025 · European Team Chess Championship 20252020
GML. CyborowskiLast 21 Oct 2023 · Bundesliga 2023/241010
IMT. KrausLast 22 Oct 2023 · Bundesliga 2023/241010

Compare Luft

GMGudmundur KjartanssonIceland

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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.