Players
Pouya Idani
Photo: Stefan64, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
GM

Pouya Idani

FranceBorn 1995 (age 31)FIDE ID 12510130

Luft classical

25002600270028002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2616
FIDE

FIDE classical

200022502500275020072011201520192023
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2616
Luft

Flair

Pouya Idani'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 81Positional 80Endgame 80Openings 81Composure 79Defence 82Speed 73Consistency 80

Luft classical rating

2616No. 97

From 16 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2654 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2654 level, blended with their FIDE rating+6
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year−4
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event+3
Activity16 classical games in top events−5

Openings

Their most-played, from 88 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Ruy Lopez1759%
Sicilian Defense850%
Italian Game764%
Caro-Kann Defense488%
French Defense275%

Ruy Lopez

With White: 17 games, won 4, drew 12, lost 1 · 59%

VariationGamesScore
Morphy Defense650%
Closed580%
Berlin Defense550%
Open Berlin Defense150%

Sicilian Defense

With White: 8 games, won 2, drew 4, lost 2 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Najdorf Variation333%
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack1100%
French Variation1100%
Accelerated Dragon150%
Kalashnikov Variation150%
Taimanov Variation10%

Italian Game

With White: 7 games, won 3, drew 3, lost 1 · 64%

VariationGamesScore
Two Knights Defense450%
Giuoco Pianissimo275%
Classical Variation1100%

Caro-Kann Defense

With White: 4 games, won 3, drew 1, lost 0 · 88%

VariationGamesScore
Advance Variation488%

French Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Advance Variation275%

Sicilian Defense

With Black: 18 games, won 3, drew 12, lost 3 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Najdorf Variation1045%
Closed350%
Moscow Variation250%
Delayed Alapin Variation1100%
Alapin Variation150%
Chekhover Variation150%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With Black: 5 games, won 1, drew 1, lost 3 · 30%

VariationGamesScore
Queen's Knight Variation225%
Traditional Variation20%
Harrwitz Attack1100%

Caro-Kann Defense

With Black: 4 games, won 2, drew 1, lost 1 · 63%

VariationGamesScore
Advance Variation250%
Two Knights Attack1100%
Exchange Variation150%

Nimzo-Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Normal Variation250%
Classical Variation150%

English Opening

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

VariationGamesScore
Agincourt Defense250%
King's English Variation10%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
German Bundesliga 2026/2711 Oct 20261½/3+1+2
German Bundesliga 2025/2626 Apr 20266½/11+3+1
Austrian Bundesliga 2025/2614 Dec 20252½/4+1+1
FIDE World Cup 20258 Nov 20254/6+10+12
Maia Chess Festival 202529 Aug 20251/2−4−4

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMA. Esipenko7 Nov 2025 · FIDE World Cup 20252681
GMR. Hovhannisyan10 Oct 2026 · German Bundesliga 2026/272642
GML. Nisipeanu28 Feb 2026 · German Bundesliga 2025/262581
GML. Lodici2 Feb 2025 · German Bundesliga 2024/252572
GMZ. Efimenko27 Apr 2025 · German Bundesliga 2024/252570

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GML. NisipeanuLast 28 Feb 2026 · German Bundesliga 2025/263120
GMM. KarthikeyanLast 5 Nov 2025 · FIDE World Cup 20253021
GMB. PredojevicLast 1 Dec 2024 · German Bundesliga 2024/252020
GMR. SvaneLast 9 Oct 2026 · German Bundesliga 2026/272020
GMA. KozakLast 10 Dec 2025 · Austrian 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.