Players
Sauat Nurgaliyev
Photo: Yunfan Zhao
IM

Sauat Nurgaliyev

KazakhstanBorn 2010 (age 16)FIDE ID 13726285

Luft classical

20002200240026002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2498
FIDE

FIDE classical

100015002000250020172019202120232025
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2526
Luft

Flair

Sauat Nurgaliyev's classical flairs

1 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • RisingRating increased by +77 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
  • 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
  • Rising

Trophy cabinet

No classical titles on record yet.

Attributes

Tactics 77Positional 73Endgame 78Openings 70Composure 75Defence 74Speed 67Consistency 74

Luft classical rating

2498No. 277

From 33 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2455 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2455 level, blended with their FIDE rating−25
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year+2
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event−6
Activity33 classical games in top events+1

Openings

Their most-played, from 34 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Sicilian Defense928%
Ruy Lopez250%
Caro-Kann Defense250%
Four Knights Game225%
French Defense150%

Sicilian Defense

With White: 9 games, won 1, drew 3, lost 5 · 28%

VariationGamesScore
Najdorf Variation40%
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack1100%
Lasker-Pelikan Variation150%
Pin Variation150%
Main line150%
Richter-Rauzer Variation10%

Ruy Lopez

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

VariationGamesScore
Morphy Defense150%
Main line150%

Caro-Kann Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Two Knights Attack150%
Advance Variation150%

Four Knights Game

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

VariationGamesScore
Scotch Variation Accepted225%

French Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Classical Variation150%

Sicilian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Najdorf Variation250%
Moscow Variation1100%
Four Knights Variation150%
Taimanov Variation150%
French Variation10%

Grünfeld Defense

With Black: 3 games, won 0, drew 1, lost 2 · 17%

VariationGamesScore
Exchange Variation225%
Three Knights Variation10%

English Opening

With Black: 2 games, won 1, drew 0, lost 1 · 50%

VariationGamesScore
Symmetrical Variation1100%
Main line10%

King's Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Fianchetto Variation225%

Trompowsky Attack

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

VariationGamesScore
Main line150%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
KazChess Masters Almaty 20263 Nov 20263/9−9−1
46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 202627 Sep 20267/10+12+14
Turkic Team Chess Championships 202617 May 20261/200
V Open Chess Menorca 202611 Apr 2026=72nd−10
KazChess Masters 202629 Mar 20262½/7+5+5

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMS. Vokhidov3 Nov 2026 · KazChess Masters Almaty 20262627
IMA. Ansat28 Jun 2025 · Aktobe Open 20252489
FMG. Avsar17 May 2026 · Turkic Team Chess Championships 20262422
IMR. Burovic24 Sep 2026 · 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 20262414
IME. Valderrama Quiceno21 Sep 2026 · 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 20262390

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
IMA. AnsatLast 25 Nov 2025 · KazChess Masters2110
GMD. MakhnevLast 27 Oct 2026 · KazChess Masters Almaty 20262020
GMA. SaranaLast 25 Mar 2026 · KazChess Masters 20262002
GMS. VokhidovLast 3 Nov 2026 · KazChess Masters Almaty 20262101
GMN. SarinLast 23 Apr 2025 · Menorca Open 20251001

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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.