Players
Nikolas Theodorou
Photo: Brigham Aldrich
GM

Nikolas Theodorou

GreeceBorn 2000 (age 26)FIDE ID 4262875

Luft classical

25002600270028002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2623
FIDE

FIDE classical

17502000225025002750201020132016201920222025
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2639
Luft

Flair

Nikolas Theodorou'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 83Positional 81Endgame 83Openings 80Composure 78Defence 79Speed 76Consistency 86

Luft classical rating

2623No. 89

From 22 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2613 level, with 1 win against the top 10.

ResultsPlayed at a 2613 level, blended with their FIDE rating−9
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year+4
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event−8
Activity22 classical games in top events−3

Openings

Their most-played, from 110 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Queen's Pawn Game856%
Queen's Gambit Declined550%
Nimzo-Indian Defense463%
Queen's Indian Defense450%
Petrov's Defense383%

Queen's Pawn Game

With White: 8 games, won 2, drew 5, lost 1 · 56%

VariationGamesScore
London System560%
Symmetrical Variation250%
Anti-Torre150%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With White: 5 games, won 1, drew 3, lost 1 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Exchange Variation250%
Three Knights Variation225%
Semi-Tarrasch Defense1100%

Nimzo-Indian Defense

With White: 4 games, won 1, drew 3, lost 0 · 63%

VariationGamesScore
Romanishin Variation275%
Normal Variation250%

Queen's Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Kasparov-Petrosian Variation367%
Fianchetto Variation10%

Petrov's Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Modern Attack275%
Classical Attack1100%

Sicilian Defense

With Black: 12 games, won 5, drew 4, lost 3 · 58%

VariationGamesScore
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack450%
Closed275%
Kan Variation250%
Löwenthal Variation1100%
Kalashnikov Variation1100%
Lasker-Pelikan Variation150%
Richter-Rauzer Variation10%

Petrov's Defense

With Black: 8 games, won 2, drew 3, lost 3 · 44%

VariationGamesScore
Classical Attack438%
Modern Attack250%
Nimzowitsch Attack150%
Kaufmann Attack150%

King's Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Orthodox Variation1100%
Petrosian Variation150%
Fianchetto Variation150%
Normal Variation150%
Semi-Averbakh System10%
Karpov System10%

Queen's Pawn Game

With Black: 3 games, won 1, drew 1, lost 1 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Colle System1100%
Symmetrical Variation150%
Zukertort Variation10%

Queen's Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Fianchetto Variation1100%
Capablanca Variation150%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 202627 Sep 20266½/10+6+8
3rd UzChess Cup 202615 Jun 202610th−6−8
German Bundesliga 2025/268 Feb 20262/6−8−11
FIDE World Cup 20258 Nov 20251½/4−4−5
European Team Chess Championship 202514 Oct 20255/9+4−2

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMN. Abdusattorov14 Jun 2026 · 3rd UzChess Cup 20262777
GMGukesh D.9 Sep 2025 · FIDE Grand Swiss 20252767
GMA. Erigaisi15 May 2024 · Sharjah2761
GMT. Radjabov17 Nov 2023 · European Team Championship2745
GMH. Niemann7 Jun 2026 · 3rd UzChess Cup 20262742

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMM. MadaminovLast 8 Jun 2026 · 3rd UzChess Cup 20263111
GMS. MamedyarovLast 23 Sep 2026 · 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 20263021
GMN. VitiugovLast 12 Oct 2025 · European Team Chess Championship 20252020
GMA. PredkeLast 8 Oct 2025 · European Team Chess Championship 20252200
GMA. ErigaisiLast 15 Jun 2026 · 3rd UzChess Cup 20262101

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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.