Players
Liu Yan
Photo: Selina Xie
GM

Liu Yan

ChinaBorn 2000 (age 26)FIDE ID 8608962

Luft classical

24002500260027002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2480
FIDE

FIDE classical

23002400250026002700201620182020202220242026
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2485
Luft

Flair

Liu Yan'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 73Positional 74Endgame 78Openings 70Composure 69Defence 72Speed 68Consistency 77

Luft classical rating

2480No. 309

From 10 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2534 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2534 level, blended with their FIDE rating+6
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year−6
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event+2
Activity10 classical games in top events−7

Openings

Their most-played, from 32 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
English Opening667%
Catalan Opening333%
King's Indian Defense275%
Queen's Gambit Declined250%
Slav Defense1100%

English Opening

With White: 6 games, won 2, drew 4, lost 0 · 67%

VariationGamesScore
King's English Variation463%
Mikenas-Carls Variation1100%
Agincourt Defense150%

Catalan Opening

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

VariationGamesScore
Open Defense333%

King's Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Fianchetto Variation275%

Queen's Gambit Declined

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

VariationGamesScore
Main line150%
Ragozin Defense150%

Slav Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Quiet Variation1100%

Sicilian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Moscow Variation150%
Old Sicilian150%
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack150%

Nimzo-Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Classical Variation250%
Normal Variation150%

Petrov's Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Nimzowitsch Attack250%
Classical Attack150%

King's Indian Attack

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

VariationGamesScore
Keres Variation150%
Main line10%

Queen's Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Capablanca Variation150%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
2026 Chinese Chess League Division A31 Oct 20265/11−20−21
2026 Chinese Team Chess Championship27 Apr 2026=8th−8−8
2025 Chinese Chess League Division A 中国国际象棋甲级联赛 Finals 总决赛争冠组12 Jan 20262/5+3+3
2025 Chinese Chess League Division A 中国国际象棋甲级联赛26 Oct 20256½/13−1−10
Sparkassen Chess Trophy 202510 Aug 20251½/2+3+2

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMA. Chopra20 Jul 2023 · Biel Festival 20232626
IMN. Belurkar10 Aug 2025 · Sparkassen Chess Trophy 20252486
IML. Lukasz19 Jul 2023 · Biel Festival 20232430
WGMV. Agrawal24 Jul 2023 · Biel Festival 20232428
Chen Yuan30 Aug 2025 · 2025 Chinese Chess League Division A 中国国际象棋甲级联赛2399

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMXu YiLast 21 Apr 2026 · 2026 Chinese Team Chess Championship4040
GMWang YueLast 12 Jan 2026 · 2025 Chinese Chess League Division A 中国国际象棋甲级联赛 Finals 总决赛争冠组4040
GMWang HaoLast 9 Jan 2026 · 2025 Chinese Chess League Division A 中国国际象棋甲级联赛 Finals 总决赛争冠组3021
Chen YuanLast 28 Jun 2026 · 2026 Chinese Chess League Division A3120
GMKong XiangruiLast 30 Oct 2026 · 2026 Chinese Chess League Division A2020

Compare Luft

GMLiu YanChina

Pick a player to compare with Liu Yan

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.