Players
Robert Markus
Photo: GMBartek, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
GM

Robert Markus

SerbiaBorn 1983 (age 43)FIDE ID 921637

Luft classical

24002500260027002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2547
FIDE

FIDE classical

24002500260027002800200020052010201520202025
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2531
Luft

Flair

Robert Markus's classical flairs

1 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • SignaturePetrov's Defense in 5 of 8 games with black
  • 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
  • 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
  • Signature

Trophy cabinet

Robert Markus's classical titles

0 classical titles, 2 medals, newest first

Attributes

Tactics 74Positional 74Endgame 82Openings 77Composure 83Defence 80Speed 72Consistency 73

Luft classical rating

2547No. 189

From 18 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2570 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2570 level, blended with their FIDE rating+8
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year+10
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event+2
Activity18 classical games in top events−4

Openings

Their most-played, from 76 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
English Opening757%
King's Indian Attack658%
Indian Defense560%
Slav Defense367%
Semi-Slav Defense350%

English Opening

With White: 7 games, won 1, drew 6, lost 0 · 57%

VariationGamesScore
Agincourt Defense367%
King's English Variation350%
Symmetrical Variation150%

King's Indian Attack

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

VariationGamesScore
Sicilian Variation275%
Keres Variation250%
Pachman System1100%
French Variation10%

Indian Defense

With White: 5 games, won 1, drew 4, lost 0 · 60%

VariationGamesScore
Anti-Nimzo-Indian463%
Dzindzi-Indian Defense150%

Slav Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Main line2100%
Modern Line10%

Semi-Slav Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Stoltz Variation150%
Normal Variation150%
Accelerated Move Order150%

Petrov's Defense

With Black: 8 games, won 0, drew 5, lost 3 · 31%

VariationGamesScore
Three Knights Game250%
Classical Attack225%
Nimzowitsch Attack20%
Modern Attack150%
Paulsen Attack150%

French Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Winawer Variation438%
Tarrasch Variation275%

King's Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Orthodox Variation450%
Fianchetto Variation225%

Philidor Defense

With Black: 4 games, won 0, drew 3, lost 1 · 38%

VariationGamesScore
Lion Variation438%

Nimzo-Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
St. Petersburg Variation150%
Normal Variation150%
Classical Variation150%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
Serbian Super League 202612 Oct 20264/5+10+10
German Bundesliga 2025/2626 Apr 20265/13−4−2
European Chess Club Cup 202524 Oct 20253/5−11−11
European Team Chess Championship 202514 Oct 20252½/4+5+5
First League of Serbia 202528 Sep 20254½/11−18−15

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMA. Korobov22 Sep 2024 · 45th Chess Olympiad Budapest 20242650
GMA. Suleymanli14 Oct 2025 · European Team Chess Championship 20252614
GML. Nisipeanu23 Mar 2023 · Österreichische Bundesliga 20222603
GML. Engel14 Jan 2024 · Bundesliga 2023/242547
GMM. Bosiocic15 Nov 2023 · European Team Championship2537

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMF. BlohbergerLast 2 Apr 2025 · Austrian Bundesliga 2024/252011
GMT. BurgLast 3 Feb 2024 · Bundesliga 2023/242011
GML. NisipeanuLast 1 Feb 2025 · German Bundesliga 2024/252110
GMT. BanuszLast 27 Apr 2025 · German Bundesliga 2024/252020
GMM. RaggerLast 6 Oct 2025 · European Team Chess Championship 20252020

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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.