Players
Ivan Saric
Photo: GibChess, CC BY 4.0, via YouTube
GM

Ivan Saric

CroatiaBorn 1990 (age 36)FIDE ID 14508150

Luft classical

25002600270028002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2648
FIDE

FIDE classical

20002200240026002800200120062011201620212026
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2630
Luft

Flair

Ivan Saric's classical flairs

1 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • Fortress29 games in a row without a loss
  • 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
  • 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
  • Fortress

Trophy cabinet

Ivan Saric's classical titles

7 classical titles, 1 medal, newest first

  • grenke Chess Festival 2025Shared 1st · 7½/9 · Perf. 2656
  • European Team Championship 2023Silver, board 1 · Croatia
  • Croatian Championship 20221st
  • Croatian Championship 20181st
  • European Championship 20181st
  • Croatian Championship 20141st
  • Croatian Championship 20131st
  • Croatian Championship 20091st

Attributes

Tactics 79Positional 81Endgame 82Openings 83Composure 84Defence 88Speed 77Consistency 92

Luft classical rating

2648No. 65

From 42 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2648 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2648 level, blended with their FIDE rating+6
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year+3
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event+5
Activity42 classical games in top events+4

Openings

Their most-played, from 108 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Sicilian Defense1168%
Ruy Lopez1159%
Italian Game658%
Caro-Kann Defense650%
King's Indian Attack580%

Sicilian Defense

With White: 11 games, won 5, drew 5, lost 1 · 68%

VariationGamesScore
Najdorf Variation450%
Hyperaccelerated Dragon1100%
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack1100%
Richter-Rauzer Variation1100%
Closed1100%
Accelerated Dragon150%
Four Knights Variation150%
Taimanov Variation150%

Ruy Lopez

With White: 11 games, won 2, drew 9, lost 0 · 59%

VariationGamesScore
Morphy Defense463%
Closed350%
Open250%
Berlin Defense1100%
Marshall Attack150%

Italian Game

With White: 6 games, won 2, drew 3, lost 1 · 58%

VariationGamesScore
Giuoco Pianissimo275%
Two Knights Defense275%
Classical Variation225%

Caro-Kann Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Advance Variation650%

King's Indian Attack

With White: 5 games, won 3, drew 2, lost 0 · 80%

VariationGamesScore
Main line488%
Keres Variation150%

Sicilian Defense

With Black: 22 games, won 5, drew 13, lost 4 · 52%

VariationGamesScore
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack750%
Najdorf Variation658%
Modern Variations350%
Richter-Rauzer Variation350%
Lasker-Pelikan Variation250%
Moscow Variation150%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With Black: 6 games, won 2, drew 1, lost 3 · 42%

VariationGamesScore
Semi-Tarrasch Defense225%
Main line1100%
Barmen Variation1100%
Ragozin Defense10%
Cambridge Springs Defense10%

King's Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Orthodox Variation250%
Main line1100%
Semi-Averbakh System10%

Semi-Slav Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Accelerated Meran Variation150%
Stoltz Variation150%
Moscow Variation150%

East Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Main line2100%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
sachy.cz Extraliga 2026/2731 Oct 20260/1−6−7
41st European Chess Club Cup 202623 Oct 20265/6+6+4
German Bundesliga 2026/2711 Oct 20262/3+3+1
46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 202627 Sep 20267/10+4+2
Aktobe Open 202611 Jun 20266/9−1−7

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMT. Radjabov14 Nov 2023 · European Team Championship2745
GMH. Martirosyan12 Nov 2023 · European Team Championship2708
GMP. Harikrishna6 Dec 2025 · German Bundesliga 2025/262693
GMG. Kamsky29 Apr 2023 · Bundesliga 20222666
GMA. Demchenko5 Feb 2023 · Bundesliga 20222645

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMM. BartelLast 26 Apr 2026 · German Bundesliga 2025/264121
GMR. SvaneLast 8 Sep 2025 · FIDE Grand Swiss 20253111
GMN. GrandeliusLast 25 Sep 2026 · 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 20263021
GMV. KeymerLast 12 Oct 2025 · European Team Chess Championship 20253021
GMJ. BjerreLast 21 Mar 2026 · German Bundesliga 2025/263012

Compare Luft

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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.