Players
Vignir Vatnar Stefansson
Photo: Yunfan Zhao
GM

Vignir Vatnar Stefansson

IcelandBorn 2003 (age 23)FIDE ID 2308649

Luft classical

24002500260027002023202420252026
Monthly Luft ratings, now 2493
FIDE

FIDE classical

1500175020002250250020122015201820212024
Monthly FIDE ratings, now 2510
Luft

Flair

Vignir Vatnar Stefansson's classical flairs

1 of 19 earned over the last 12 months

  • Underdog3 wins against players rated 50+ higher
  • TitanLuft classical rating averaging 2800+ over the last 4 years
  • Serial WinnerWon 2+ elite events in the last 12 months
  • 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
  • Underdog

Trophy cabinet

No classical titles on record yet.

Attributes

Tactics 73Positional 70Endgame 80Openings 73Composure 77Defence 77Speed 76Consistency 76

Luft classical rating

2493No. 291

From 19 classical games in top events over the last year, playing at a 2504 level.

ResultsPlayed at a 2504 level, blended with their FIDE rating−2
Tournament winsNone in the last year0
FormThe last 3 months against the whole year−10
ConsistencyHow steady they are from event to event−1
Activity19 classical games in top events−4

Openings

Their most-played, from 50 classical games in top events over the last 4 years

OpeningGamesScore
Nimzo-Indian Defense333%
Indian Defense2100%
Queen's Gambit Declined275%
Bogo-Indian Defense250%
English Opening250%

Nimzo-Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Classical Variation250%
Sämisch Variation10%

Indian Defense

With White: 2 games, won 2, drew 0, lost 0 · 100%

VariationGamesScore
Anti-Nimzo-Indian1100%
Knights Variation1100%

Queen's Gambit Declined

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

VariationGamesScore
Three Knights Variation275%

Bogo-Indian Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Nimzowitsch Variation1100%
Retreat Variation10%

English Opening

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

VariationGamesScore
Anglo-Indian Defense150%
King's English Variation150%

Ruy Lopez

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

VariationGamesScore
Berlin Defense463%
Open Berlin Defense10%

Queen's Gambit Declined

With Black: 5 games, won 0, drew 2, lost 3 · 20%

VariationGamesScore
Exchange Variation30%
Harrwitz Attack150%
Charousek Variation150%

Sicilian Defense

With Black: 4 games, won 1, drew 1, lost 2 · 38%

VariationGamesScore
Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack250%
Nimzowitsch Variation150%
Richter-Rauzer Variation10%

French Defense

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

VariationGamesScore
Steinitz Variation250%
Advance Variation150%
Paulsen Variation10%

Pirc Defense

With Black: 4 games, won 0, drew 1, lost 3 · 13%

VariationGamesScore
Main line413%

Recent events

See all
EventPlace+/−+/−
41st European Chess Club Cup 202623 Oct 20263½/7−8−6
46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 202627 Sep 20267/11+2+2
European Individual Chess Championship 202619 Apr 2026=5th+17+19
Reykjavik Open 202631 Mar 2026=10th+1+3
European Chess Club Cup 202525 Oct 20251½/3−2−2

Best wins

OpponentRating
GMM. Rodshtein13 Oct 2025 · European Team Chess Championship 20252647
GMA. Indjic12 Apr 2026 · European Individual Chess Championship 20262616
GML. Lodici13 Apr 2026 · European Individual Chess Championship 20262601
GMA. Naiditsch6 Oct 2025 · European Team Chess Championship 20252587
IMM. Fromm21 Oct 2026 · 41st European Chess Club Cup 20262449

Most played

OpponentGamesWDL
GMM. RodshteinLast 19 Apr 2026 · European Individual Chess Championship 20263201
GMM. LagardeLast 15 Apr 2026 · European Individual Chess Championship 20262002
GMA. IndjicLast 12 Apr 2026 · European Individual Chess Championship 20262101
IMJ. Araujo SanchezLast 19 Sep 2026 · 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 20262200
IMT. TranLast 25 Sep 2026 · 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 20262101

Compare Luft

GMVignir Vatnar StefanssonIceland

Pick a player to compare with Vignir Vatnar Stefansson

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.