Players
Ilja Schneider
Photo: Stefan64, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
IM

Ilja Schneider

GermanyBorn 1984 (age 42)FIDE ID 4663306

Luft classical

23002400250026002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2436
FIDE

FIDE classical

220024002600200020052010201520202025
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2445
Luft

Flair

Ilja Schneider'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

No classical titles on record yet.

Attributes

Tactics 70Positional 70Endgame 77Openings 68Composure 62Defence 71Speed 64Consistency 67

Luft classical rating

2436No. 366

From 10 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2565 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2565 level, blended with their FIDE rating+10
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year−10
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event−2
Activity10 classical games in top events−7

Openings

Their most-played, from 13 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
French Defense250%
Petrov's Defense150%
Ruy Lopez150%
Sicilian Defense10%
King's Indian Defense10%

French Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Tarrasch Variation250%

Petrov's Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Nimzowitsch Attack150%

Ruy Lopez

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

VariationGamesScore
Closed150%

Sicilian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Closed10%

King's Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Orthodox Variation10%

Ruy Lopez

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

VariationGamesScore
Morphy Defense225%

Catalan Opening

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

VariationGamesScore
Open Defense1100%

Queen's Gambit Accepted

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

VariationGamesScore
Main line1100%

Scotch Game

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

VariationGamesScore
Potter Variation150%

Italian Game

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

VariationGamesScore
Giuoco Pianissimo150%

Recent events

EventPlace+/−+/−
German Bundesliga 2026/2711 Oct 20261/3−5−5
German Bundesliga 2025/2625 Apr 20265½/9+21+22
European Individual Chess Championship 202411 Nov 2024=196th−5−6
Bundesliga 2023/243 Dec 20230/2−5−5

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMS. Martinovic25 Apr 2026 · German Bundesliga 2025/262550
GMZ. Kozul22 Mar 2026 · German Bundesliga 2025/262494

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMP. EljanovLast 2 Dec 2023 · Bundesliga 2023/241001
GMN. HuschenbethLast 3 Dec 2023 · Bundesliga 2023/241001
GMD. YuffaLast 9 Nov 2024 · European Individual Chess Championship 20241001
GMG. SargissianLast 11 Nov 2024 · European Individual Chess Championship 20241001
GMG. MeierLast 27 Sep 2025 · German Bundesliga 2025/261010

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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.