Players
Leon Luke Mendonca
Photo: Frans Peeters, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
GM

Leon Luke Mendonca

IndiaBorn 2006 (age 20)FIDE ID 35028561

Luft classical

25002600270028002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2605
FIDE

FIDE classical

15002000250020132016201920222025
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2617
Luft

Flair

Leon Luke Mendonca'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

Leon Luke Mendonca's classical titles

2 classical titles, newest first

Attributes

Tactics 83Positional 76Endgame 73Openings 81Composure 78Defence 88Speed 77Consistency 84

Luft classical rating

2605No. 108

From 36 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2593 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2593 level, blended with their FIDE rating−11
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year−3
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event0
Activity36 classical games in top events+2

Openings

Their most-played, from 138 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Sicilian Defense1560%
Italian Game1065%
Queen's Gambit Declined1050%
English Opening560%
Ruy Lopez550%

Sicilian Defense

With White: 15 games, won 6, drew 6, lost 3 · 60%

VariationGamesScore
Najdorf Variation650%
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack250%
Four Knights Variation1100%
O'Kelly Variation1100%
Lasker-Pelikan Variation1100%
Richter-Rauzer Variation150%
Modern Variations150%
Taimanov Variation150%
Closed150%

Italian Game

With White: 10 games, won 4, drew 5, lost 1 · 65%

VariationGamesScore
Classical Variation475%
Two Knights Defense438%
Giuoco Pianissimo2100%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With White: 10 games, won 3, drew 4, lost 3 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Exchange Variation425%
Barmen Variation275%
Main line1100%
Three Knights Variation1100%
Charousek Variation150%
Semi-Tarrasch Defense10%

English Opening

With White: 5 games, won 2, drew 2, lost 1 · 60%

VariationGamesScore
King's English Variation350%
Symmetrical Variation1100%
Agincourt Defense150%

Ruy Lopez

With White: 5 games, won 0, drew 5, lost 0 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Berlin Defense350%
Morphy Defense250%

Sicilian Defense

With Black: 19 games, won 8, drew 8, lost 3 · 63%

VariationGamesScore
Moscow Variation750%
Najdorf Variation450%
Modern Variations3100%
Closed275%
Chekhover Variation1100%
Taimanov Variation150%
Four Knights Variation150%

Ruy Lopez

With Black: 7 games, won 0, drew 4, lost 3 · 29%

VariationGamesScore
Morphy Defense317%
Classical Variation250%
Closed225%

English Opening

With Black: 5 games, won 2, drew 2, lost 1 · 60%

VariationGamesScore
Anglo-Indian Defense333%
Main line1100%
Neo-Catalan1100%

French Defense

With Black: 5 games, won 2, drew 0, lost 3 · 40%

VariationGamesScore
Advance Variation20%
Tarrasch Variation1100%
Steinitz Variation1100%
Alekhine-Chatard Attack10%

Nimzo-Indian Defense

With Black: 3 games, won 1, drew 2, lost 0 · 67%

VariationGamesScore
Normal Variation275%
Kmoch Variation150%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
1st Chola Chess Open International Grandmasters Chess Tournament 20267 Nov 2026=11th−1+1
Atyrau Open 202620 Oct 20264½/8−15−13
Chess Slovak Open Skalica 202630 Aug 2026=4th−4−3
German Bundesliga 2025/2626 Apr 20262½/50−1
V Open Chess Menorca 202612 Apr 20261st+13+12

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMV. Fedoseev31 Jan 2025 · Tata Steel Chess 20252717
GMP. Eljanov5 Sep 2025 · FIDE Grand Swiss 20252682
GMB. Deac9 Sep 2025 · FIDE Grand Swiss 20252674
GMJ. Santos Latasa4 Aug 2024 · Grand Prix Romania 20242665
GMM. Yilmaz26 Jan 2024 · Tata Steel Challengers 20242665

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMRaja Rithvik R.Last 21 May 2025 · Sharjah Masters 20253030
GMJ. van ForeestLast 11 Jan 2026 · German Bundesliga 2025/263021
GMH. DronavalliLast 10 Aug 2025 · Chennai Grand Masters 20253300
GMPranesh M.Last 4 Nov 2026 · 1st Chola Chess Open International Grandmasters Chess Tournament 20263021
GMM. MaurizziLast 19 May 2024 · Sharjah2020

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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.