Players
Inna Gaponenko
Photo: karpidis from Piraeus, Greece, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
IM

Inna Gaponenko

UkraineBorn 1976 (age 50)FIDE ID 14101181

Luft classical

22002300240025002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2315
FIDE

FIDE classical

22002300240025002600201620182020202220242026
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2314
Luft

Flair

Inna Gaponenko's classical flairs

1 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • Chameleon10 different defences in 11 games with black, among the best women
  • 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

Inna Gaponenko's classical titles

1 classical title, 14 medals, newest first

  • European Women's Team Championship 2017Gold, board 4 · Ukraine
  • European Women's Team Championship 2017Bronze, team · Ukraine
  • Women's Chess Olympiad 2016Bronze, team · Ukraine
  • European Women's Team Championship 2015Silver, team · Ukraine
  • Women's Chess Olympiad 2014Bronze, team · Ukraine
  • European Women's Team Championship 2013Gold, team · Ukraine
  • Women's World Team Championship 2013Gold, team · Ukraine
  • Women's Chess Olympiad 2010Gold, board 4 · Ukraine
  • European Women's Team Championship 2009Bronze, team · Ukraine
  • Women's World Team Championship 2009Gold, board 3 · Ukraine
  • Women's World Team Championship 2009Bronze, team · Ukraine
  • Women's Chess Olympiad 2008Silver, team · Ukraine
  • Ukrainian Championship 20081st
  • Women's World Team Championship 2007Gold, board 3 · Ukraine
  • Women's World Team Championship 2007Bronze, team · Ukraine
  • Ukrainian Championship 

Attributes

Tactics 62Positional 67Endgame 67Openings 64Composure 52Defence 65Speed 53Consistency 64

Luft classical rating

2315No. 446

From 22 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2335 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2335 level, blended with their FIDE rating+3
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year−3
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event+4
Activity22 classical games in top events−3

Openings

Their most-played, from 38 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Sicilian Defense757%
Four Knights Game350%
Petrov's Defense250%
French Defense1100%
Caro-Kann Defense150%

Sicilian Defense

With White: 7 games, won 2, drew 4, lost 1 · 57%

VariationGamesScore
Scheveningen Variation1100%
Hyperaccelerated Dragon1100%
Lasker-Pelikan Variation150%
Alapin Variation150%
Delayed Alapin Variation150%
Najdorf Variation150%
Old Sicilian10%

Four Knights Game

With White: 3 games, won 0, drew 3, lost 0 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Scotch Variation Accepted350%

Petrov's Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Modern Attack150%
Classical Attack150%

French Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Steinitz Variation1100%

Caro-Kann Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Panov Attack150%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With Black: 4 games, won 0, drew 3, lost 1 · 38%

VariationGamesScore
Exchange Variation250%
Tartakower Defense150%
Harrwitz Attack10%

Petrov's Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Nimzowitsch Attack1100%
Cozio Attack1100%
Classical Attack150%

Scandinavian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Main Line150%
Gubinsky-Melts Defense150%
Classical Variation10%

French Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Rubinstein Variation250%

Sicilian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Richter-Rauzer Variation250%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
FIDE World Senior Chess Championships 202610 Nov 2026½/2−10−10
Serbian Super League 202614 Oct 20265/10+12+14
25th European Chess Championship 20265 Jun 2026=19th+4+6
Mitropa Cup 20268 May 20261/2−4−4
German Bundesliga 2025/2617 Apr 20262½/4+12+12

Best wins

OpponentRating
WGMN. Toncheva7 Oct 2026 · Serbian Super League 20262378
IMR. Padmini21 Sep 2025 · First League of Serbia 20252362
WIMS. Pogorelskikh22 Sep 2025 · First League of Serbia 20252293
WIMA. Velikic16 Sep 2024 · 45th Chess Olympiad Budapest 20242260
WGMC. Voicu-Jagodzinsky29 Apr 2023 · Bundesliga 20222243

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
WGMH. KlekLast 10 Oct 2025 · European Team Chess Championship 20252011
WIMA. VelikicLast 14 Oct 2026 · Serbian Super League 20262200
WIMZ. UrhLast 7 Jul 2025 · FIDE World Cup 20252020
GMA. MuzychukLast 10 Jul 2025 · FIDE World Cup 20252020
IML. UnukLast 29 Nov 2025 · German Bundesliga 2025/262020

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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.