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Nihal Sarin

Nihal Sarin

GM🇮🇳

FIDEFIDE 25092340· Male· India· Born in 2004

Nihal Sarin, a 22-year-old Indian Grandmaster, is rated 2709 — just 14 short of his peak of 2723 (Apr 2026, age 22) and ranked 5th among Indian players, and 30th worldwide. He has held steady between 2700 and 2725 for 13 months. 74 rated games in the past year (≈72/year long-term). Recent standard appearances include the Chess Olympiad (open), the Chennai Grand Masters, and the French Top 16. Also played 8 rapid (including FIDE World Rapid Championship 2025) and 6 blitz events (including FIDE World Blitz Championship 2025) recently. He reached World #22 in Apr 2026 and has been in the world top 100 for 53 months and counting (62 months in total).

Awarded GM in 2018 (age 14), IM in 2017 (age 13), FM in 2015 (age 11), and CM in 2014 (age 10). At junior level, he reached World #1 in U14, World #4 in U20, World #2 in U18, World #2 in U16, World #4 in U12, World #3 in U10 and World #53 in U8.

Current rating

2709

Standard

Rpd2712·Blz2721

All-time high

2723

−14 pts below
Apr 2026 · age 22

Activity

73

games / yr avg. · ≈6/mo

54 past 12 mo · ≈5/mo
classical only
Active

Signature stat

#5

#5 · Indian players · of 20,270
World top 100 since Jun 2022

Profile · last 5 years

  1. Similar results in every format: 66% in classical (251 / 379), 60% in rapid (157.5 / 261), 61% in blitz (161.5 / 263).
  2. Against higher-rated players (+50): 44.5 / 105. Against lower-rated (−50): 388 / 550.
  3. In form: +40 in blitz rating and 49.5 / 74 in rated blitz games over the last 12 months.

From 903 games in FIDE-rated events since Oct 2021 (379 classical, 261 rapid, 263 blitz). Fixed rules: every figure comes from these results.

Your openings

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Scouting

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See his openings

Career timeline

30 entries
2026
62 months in world top 100 (ongoing)
current run 53 months since Jun 2022 · first Aug 2021
Oct 2026
Peak World rank: #22
at age 22 · rated 2723
Apr 2026
All-time peak 2723
at age 22 · −14 from today
Apr 2026
2025
Crossed 2700
at age 21
Oct 2025
1,000 career games
at age 21
May 2025
2024
4th U20 player worldwide
at age 20 · rated 2668
Oct 2024

Standard rating history

Peak
FIDE title
Threshold
First rated
Inactive period
COVID-19
Rating history: OlimpBase (opens in a new tab) until 2000, FIDE since 2001

His openings · over the board

What Nihal Sarin plays, by color

1,543 games with moves in our base · over the board · last in Oct 2026

Prepare against him

As White

452 games306 of 452

258 more games in other lines

As Black

446 games260 of 446

281 more games in other lines

Over-the-board games from our public base only.Find his online games ›

Activity & highlights

Best result
President Cup "Masters"
perf 2834 (+118) · 7/9 · #1
Evolution
+5
2704 → 2709
Tournaments
9
54 games
Score
35/ 5464.8%
21W28D5L
Top 3 wins
1.[W]vsArjun ErigaisiGM2,757·Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters 2026·R6·+5.6
2.[W]vsShant SargsyanGM2,665·President Cup "Masters"·R5·+4.3
3.[W]vsFrederik SvaneGM2,653·President Cup "Masters"·R1·+4.1
Top 3 losses
1.[L]vsMukhiddin MadaminovGM2,552·President Cup "Masters"·R6·-7.2
2.[L]vsLuke McShaneGM2,598·46th Chess Olympiad Samarkand 2026 Open·R7·-6.5
3.[L]vsPranesh MGM2,644·Team 2026 - Top 16·R10·-6.0

Last 12 months — tournaments

7 events
EventDateScoreRankPerfΔ Elo
46th Chess Olympiad Samarkand 2026 Open
Team
Sep 20266/10#1682624-9.3
Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters 2026
Round-Robin
Jul 20263.5/7#52728+1.1
Team 2026 - Top 16
Team
Jun 20264/7#942703-1.7
Stepan Avagyan Memorial 2026 - Round Robin Tournament
Round-Robin
May 20265/9#42689-4.1
1. Schachbundesliga 2025-2026 Maerz 2026
Team
Mar 20261.5/2#552787+1.8
1. Schachbundesliga 2025-2026 Februar 2026
Team
Feb 20262/2#143316+4.9
President Cup "Masters"
Round-Robin
Dec 20257/9#12834+14.5

By color · classical · 5 years

379 games

As White

72%

141 / 195avg opp. 2550

As Black

60%

110 / 184avg opp. 2564

Best win

vsArjun ErigaisiGM2776

Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters 2025 · Aug 2025 · White

Worst loss

vsZaur MammadovGM2426

Isbank of Turkiye Chess Super League - 2024 · Jul 2024 · Black

Games 1,539 · 2013–2026

Time control
  • DvsBenjamin GleduraGM
    Olymp 2026 Open · R11.175 · 2026-09-27
    Indian Defense: Accelerated London System · 31 moves · 2718
  • WvsMukhammadzokhid SuyarovGM
    Olymp 2026 Open · R10.175 · 2026-09-26
    Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation, Exchange Line · 41 moves · 2718
  • DvsFrederik SvaneGM
    Olymp 2026 Open · R9.175 · 2026-09-25
    Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal · 35 moves · 2718
  • LvsLuke McShaneGM
    Olymp 2026 Open · R7.179 · 2026-09-23
    Ruy Lopez: Cozio Defense · 88 moves · 2718
  • LvsNodirbek YakubboevGM
    Olymp 2026 Open · R6.171 · 2026-09-21
    Queen's Gambit Declined: Janowski Variation · 54 moves · 2718
  • DvsLoek van WelyGM
    Olymp 2026 Open · R5.179 · 2026-09-20
    Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Amsterdam Variation · 30 moves · 2718
  • DvsJaime Santos LatasaGM
    Olymp 2026 Open · R4.179 · 2026-09-19
    Philidor Defense: Lion Variation · 30 moves · 2718
  • WvsFrancesco SonisGM
    Olymp 2026 Open · R3.179 · 2026-09-18
    Pseudo Queen's Indian Defense · 40 moves · 2718
  • WvsArif Abdul HafizIM
    Olymp 2026 Open · R2.178 · 2026-09-17
    Sicilian Defense: Chekhover Variation · 37 moves · 2718
  • WvsThanadon KulpruethanonFM
    46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 2026 | Open | Matches 1-12 · R1.178 · 2026-09-16
    English Opening: Symmetrical Variation · 28 moves · 2718

Over-the-board games only, matched to this player through official FIDE pairings and tournament records. Opponents marked “?” could not be identified with certainty. Source: Lichess broadcasts (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab).

Most-Played Opponents

vsArjun ErigaisiGM
🇮🇳IND·2746
+7 −8 =16
31 games·last met Sep 2026
View head-to-head →
vsR PraggnanandhaaGM
🇮🇳IND·2763
+9 −7 =9
25 games·last met Jan 2026
View head-to-head →
vsNodirbek AbdusattorovGM
🇺🇿UZB·2780
+5 −7 =9
21 games·last met Jul 2026
View head-to-head →
vsWesley SoGM
🇺🇸USA·2770
+2 −8 =8
18 games·last met Jun 2026
View head-to-head →
vsParham MaghsoodlooGM
🇮🇷IRI·2705
+8 −3 =6
17 games·last met Nov 2025
View head-to-head →

Rankings

/
India
#5
out of 19,882 players
Asia-Pacific
#13
out of 53,983 players
World
#30
out of 221,391 players

National ranking

Europe & World

Europe
World
India
1
🇮🇳Praggnanandhaa R
2,763
2
🇮🇳Erigaisi Arjun
2,746
3
🇮🇳Anand, Viswanathan
2,739
4
🇮🇳Gukesh D
2,710
5
🇮🇳Nihal Sarin
2,709
6
🇮🇳Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi
2,693
7
🇮🇳Aravindh, Chithambaram VR.
2,677
7
🇮🇳Pranav, V
2,677
9
🇮🇳Pranesh M
2,674
10
🇮🇳Harikrishna, Pentala
2,648
Asia-Pacific
1
🇺🇿Sindarov, Javokhir
2,782
2
🇺🇿Abdusattorov, Nodirbek
2,780
3
🇮🇳Praggnanandhaa R
2,763
4
🇨🇳Wei, Yi
2,758
5
🇮🇳Erigaisi Arjun
2,746
6
🇮🇳Anand, Viswanathan
2,739
7
🇻🇳Le, Quang Liem
2,732
8
🇮🇷Tabatabaei, M. Amin
2,728
9
🇨🇳Ding, Liren
2,723
10
🇷🇺Nepomniachtchi, Ian
2,719
...
13
🇮🇳Nihal Sarin
2,709
World
1
🇳🇴Carlsen, Magnus
2,823
2
🇺🇸Nakamura, Hikaru
2,792
3
🇺🇸Caruana, Fabiano
2,784
4
🇺🇿Sindarov, Javokhir
2,782
5
🇺🇿Abdusattorov, Nodirbek
2,780
6
🇺🇸So, Wesley
2,770
7
🇮🇳Praggnanandhaa R
2,763
8
🇩🇪Keymer, Vincent
2,761
9
🇨🇳Wei, Yi
2,758
10
🇫🇷Firouzja, Alireza
2,757
...
30
🇮🇳Nihal Sarin
2,709
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