GMSafal Bora

USA Born 1998 Male
FIDE ID
2066149
USCF ID
12936317

About Safal Bora

Safal Bora grew up in Troy, Michigan. He combined chess with business and engineering studies at the University of Michigan. In 2016 he earned his first grandmaster norm in Charlotte after winning his last three games. Show more

Safal Bora grew up in Troy, Michigan. He combined chess with business and engineering studies at the University of Michigan. In 2016 he earned his first grandmaster norm in Charlotte after winning his last three games. He played for Michigan's team when it finished third at the 2018 Ivy Chess Challenge. In 2023 he shared second place with Aram Hakobyan and Yasser Quesada at the SPICE Cup. His final grandmaster norm came at a New York invitational in July 2024. A last-round victory over Oliver Barbosa secured it. He reached the remaining rating requirement that December, and FIDE records his Grandmaster title in 2025. Outside tournament chess, he has worked as a software engineer at Microsoft.

Ratings

2511

Classical

Published FIDE

2389

Rapid

Published FIDE

2411

Blitz

Published FIDE

2606

USCF Regular

Published US Chess

Official classical ranks

World rank
#494
National rank · USA
#33

Active players · Nov 2026 FIDE list ⓘ

Rating milestones

Highest recorded rating
2511 Oct 2026
Recorded years
2011–2026
Archived games
273

Based on available monthly lists and saved games.

Rating history

USCF rating history

Published rating lists through Nov 2026.

Download chart or data

View rating lists

FIDE rating history

Published rating lists through Nov 2026.

Download chart or data

View rating lists

Games

Published games available in our archive; coverage varies by tournament. Archive last checked: 2026-11-11 (UTC).

Online games are identified from known tournament names, playing sites and PGN mode. Other games are listed as OTB (over-the-board).

# Date Event Site Round White Black Result Moves View
201 2017-11-25 CCCSA Fall IM 2017 Charlotte USA 6.4 Shankar Gauri Safal Bora 0-1 55 Open
202 2017-11-24 CCCSA Fall IM 2017 Charlotte USA 5.3 Safal Bora John Ludwig 1/2-1/2 55 Open
203 2017-11-24 CCCSA Fall IM 2017 Charlotte USA 4.3 Sahil Sinha Safal Bora 1/2-1/2 15 Open
204 2017-11-23 CCCSA Fall IM 2017 Charlotte USA 2.2 Angelo Young Safal Bora 0-1 53 Open
205 2017-11-22 CCCSA Fall IM 2017 Charlotte USA 1.5 Safal Bora Eliot W Soo-Burrowes 1/2-1/2 25 Open
206 2017-07-03 45th Annual World Open Philadelphia USA 6 Jayaram Ashwin Safal Bora 1/2-1/2 38 Open
207 2016-12-28 Pan-Am Intercollegiate Kenner USA 3.3 Safal Bora Yaroslav Zherebukh 1/2-1/2 12 Open
208 2016-07-10 10th Philadelphia Int Philadelphia USA 9 Safal Bora Hans Moke Niemann 1/2-1/2 62 Open
209 2016-07-09 10th Philadelphia Int Philadelphia USA 8.4 Victor Mikhalevski Safal Bora 1-0 46 Open
210 2016-07-08 10th Philadelphia Int Philadelphia USA 5.3 Axel Bachmann Safal Bora 1-0 53 Open
211 2016-07-06 10th Philadelphia Int Philadelphia USA 3.3 Yaroslav Zherebukh Safal Bora 1/2-1/2 38 Open
212 2016-07-04 44th Annual World Open Philadelphia USA 9 Erik Santarius Safal Bora 1-0 33 Open
213 2016-05-29 25th Chicago Open 2016 Chicago USA 6 Safal Bora Erik Santarius 1/2-1/2 20 Open
214 2016-03-27 CCCSA GM 2016 Charlotte USA 9.4 Kassa Korley Safal Bora 0-1 43 Open
215 2016-03-27 CCCSA GM 2016 Charlotte USA 8.4 Safal Bora Dean Ippolito 1-0 42 Open
216 2016-03-26 CCCSA GM 2016 Charlotte USA 7.4 Safal Bora Nicolas Checa 1-0 33 Open
217 2016-03-26 CCCSA GM 2016 Charlotte USA 6.3 Michael Brown Safal Bora 1/2-1/2 14 Open
218 2016-03-25 CCCSA GM 2016 Charlotte USA 5.2 Safal Bora Jayaram Ashwin 1-0 35 Open
219 2016-03-25 CCCSA GM 2016 Charlotte USA 4.1 Steven Zierk Safal Bora 1/2-1/2 25 Open
220 2016-03-24 CCCSA GM 2016 Charlotte USA 3.3 Safal Bora Justin Sarkar 1-0 36 Open
221 2016-03-24 CCCSA GM 2016 Charlotte USA 2.3 Tanguy Ringoir Safal Bora 1-0 38 Open
222 2016-03-23 CCCSA GM 2016 Charlotte USA 1.4 Safal Bora Niclas Huschenbeth 1/2-1/2 53 Open
223 2015-07-02 43rd Annual World Open Arlington USA 3 Safal Bora Anton Kovalyov 0-1 49 Open
224 2015-06-27 3rd DC International 2015 Arlington USA 5 Safal Bora Cameron Wheeler 0-1 68 Open
225 2015-04-05 9th Philadelphia Open Philadelphia USA 9.1 Safal Bora Atulya Shetty 1/2-1/2 72 Open
226 2015-04-05 9th Philadelphia Open Philadelphia USA 8.4 Aleksey Dreev Safal Bora 1-0 55 Open
227 2015-04-02 9th Philadelphia Open Philadelphia USA 3.4 Safal Bora Awonder Liang 0-1 54 Open
228 2015-04-02 9th Philadelphia Open Philadelphia USA 2.13 Eugene Yanayt Safal Bora 0-1 40 Open
229 2015-01-25 38th Cardinal Open 2015 Reynoldsburg USA 5.4 Scott Ramer Safal Bora 1/2-1/2 31 Open
230 2014-12-30 24th North American Open Las Vegas USA 9.7 Andres Felipe Gallego Alcaraz Safal Bora 0-1 37 Open
231 2014-12-28 24th North American Open Las Vegas USA 6.6 Mackenzie Molner Safal Bora 0-1 59 Open
232 2014-12-28 24th North American Open Las Vegas USA 5.9 Safal Bora Qian Huang 1/2-1/2 41 Open
233 2014-11-25 UT Dallas Fall FIDE Open 2014 Richardson USA 8 Denis Kadric Safal Bora 1-0 37 Open
234 2014-11-25 UT Dallas Fall FIDE Open 2014 Richardson USA 7 Leonid Kritz Safal Bora 1/2-1/2 42 Open
235 2014-11-23 UT Dallas Fall FIDE Open 2014 Richardson USA 5 Patrycja Labedz Safal Bora 0-1 52 Open
236 2014-11-23 UT Dallas Fall FIDE Open 2014 Richardson USA 4 Safal Bora Giorgi Margvelashvili 0-1 48 Open
237 2014-11-21 UT Dallas Fall FIDE Open 2014 Richardson USA 1 Anton Kovalyov Safal Bora 1-0 64 Open
238 2014-10-26 SPICE Cup Open 2014 Saint Louis USA 9.5 Safal Bora Fidel Corrales Jimenez 0-1 62 Open
239 2014-10-25 SPICE Cup Open 2014 Saint Louis USA 7.4 Safal Bora Quang Liem Le 0-1 30 Open
240 2014-10-23 SPICE Cup Open 2014 Saint Louis USA 5.5 Alex Yermolinsky Safal Bora 1-0 26 Open
241 2014-10-21 SPICE Cup Open 2014 Saint Louis USA 1.2 Safal Bora Ray Robson 0-1 40 Open
242 2014-08-29 US Chess Masters 2014 Greensboro USA 3.29 Safal Bora Brian Tarhon 1/2-1/2 54 Open
243 2014-07-05 42nd World Open 2014 Arlington USA 6 Safal Bora Michael Bodek 0-1 43 Open
244 2014-07-03 42nd World Open 2014 Arlington USA 2 Safal Bora Michael Mulyar 1/2-1/2 53 Open
245 2013-12-28 WYCC U16 Open 2013 Al-Ain UAE 11.15 Safal Bora Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis 1/2-1/2 61 Open
246 2013-12-27 WYCC U16 Open 2013 Al-Ain UAE 10.17 Safal Bora Cemil Can Ali Marandi 1-0 38 Open
247 2013-12-26 WYCC U16 Open 2013 Al-Ain UAE 9.33 Zhaoqi Liu Safal Bora 0-1 57 Open
248 2013-12-24 WYCC U16 Open 2013 Al-Ain UAE 8.15 Safal Bora Ayan Akhmetov 0-1 23 Open
249 2013-12-23 WYCC U16 Open 2013 Al-Ain UAE 7.1 Sayantan Das Safal Bora 1-0 35 Open
250 2013-12-22 WYCC U16 Open 2013 Al-Ain UAE 6.15 Safal Bora Rishi Sardana 1-0 50 Open
  1. vs Shankar GauriWon · 0-1Black · 2017-11-25 · Round 6.4CCCSA Fall IM 2017
  2. vs John LudwigDraw · ½–½White · 2017-11-24 · Round 5.3CCCSA Fall IM 2017
  3. vs Sahil SinhaDraw · ½–½Black · 2017-11-24 · Round 4.3CCCSA Fall IM 2017
  4. vs Angelo YoungWon · 0-1Black · 2017-11-23 · Round 2.2CCCSA Fall IM 2017
  5. vs Eliot W Soo-BurrowesDraw · ½–½White · 2017-11-22 · Round 1.5CCCSA Fall IM 2017
  6. vs Jayaram AshwinDraw · ½–½Black · 2017-07-03 · Round 645th Annual World Open
  7. vs Yaroslav ZherebukhDraw · ½–½White · 2016-12-28 · Round 3.3Pan-Am Intercollegiate
  8. vs Hans Moke NiemannDraw · ½–½White · 2016-07-10 · Round 910th Philadelphia Int
  9. vs Victor MikhalevskiLost · 1-0Black · 2016-07-09 · Round 8.410th Philadelphia Int
  10. vs Axel BachmannLost · 1-0Black · 2016-07-08 · Round 5.310th Philadelphia Int
  11. vs Yaroslav ZherebukhDraw · ½–½Black · 2016-07-06 · Round 3.310th Philadelphia Int
  12. vs Erik SantariusLost · 1-0Black · 2016-07-04 · Round 944th Annual World Open
  13. vs Erik SantariusDraw · ½–½White · 2016-05-29 · Round 625th Chicago Open 2016
  14. vs Kassa KorleyWon · 0-1Black · 2016-03-27 · Round 9.4CCCSA GM 2016
  15. vs Dean IppolitoWon · 1-0White · 2016-03-27 · Round 8.4CCCSA GM 2016
  16. vs Nicolas ChecaWon · 1-0White · 2016-03-26 · Round 7.4CCCSA GM 2016
  17. vs Michael BrownDraw · ½–½Black · 2016-03-26 · Round 6.3CCCSA GM 2016
  18. vs Jayaram AshwinWon · 1-0White · 2016-03-25 · Round 5.2CCCSA GM 2016
  19. vs Steven ZierkDraw · ½–½Black · 2016-03-25 · Round 4.1CCCSA GM 2016
  20. vs Justin SarkarWon · 1-0White · 2016-03-24 · Round 3.3CCCSA GM 2016
  21. vs Tanguy RingoirLost · 1-0Black · 2016-03-24 · Round 2.3CCCSA GM 2016
  22. vs Niclas HuschenbethDraw · ½–½White · 2016-03-23 · Round 1.4CCCSA GM 2016
  23. vs Anton KovalyovLost · 0-1White · 2015-07-02 · Round 343rd Annual World Open
  24. vs Cameron WheelerLost · 0-1White · 2015-06-27 · Round 53rd DC International 2015
  25. vs Atulya ShettyDraw · ½–½White · 2015-04-05 · Round 9.19th Philadelphia Open
  26. vs Aleksey DreevLost · 1-0Black · 2015-04-05 · Round 8.49th Philadelphia Open
  27. vs Awonder LiangLost · 0-1White · 2015-04-02 · Round 3.49th Philadelphia Open
  28. vs Eugene YanaytWon · 0-1Black · 2015-04-02 · Round 2.139th Philadelphia Open
  29. vs Scott RamerDraw · ½–½Black · 2015-01-25 · Round 5.438th Cardinal Open 2015
  30. vs Andres Felipe Gallego AlcarazWon · 0-1Black · 2014-12-30 · Round 9.724th North American Open
  31. vs Mackenzie MolnerWon · 0-1Black · 2014-12-28 · Round 6.624th North American Open
  32. vs Qian HuangDraw · ½–½White · 2014-12-28 · Round 5.924th North American Open
  33. vs Denis KadricLost · 1-0Black · 2014-11-25 · Round 8UT Dallas Fall FIDE Open 2014
  34. vs Leonid KritzDraw · ½–½Black · 2014-11-25 · Round 7UT Dallas Fall FIDE Open 2014
  35. vs Patrycja LabedzWon · 0-1Black · 2014-11-23 · Round 5UT Dallas Fall FIDE Open 2014
  36. vs Giorgi MargvelashviliLost · 0-1White · 2014-11-23 · Round 4UT Dallas Fall FIDE Open 2014
  37. vs Anton KovalyovLost · 1-0Black · 2014-11-21 · Round 1UT Dallas Fall FIDE Open 2014
  38. vs Fidel Corrales JimenezLost · 0-1White · 2014-10-26 · Round 9.5SPICE Cup Open 2014
  39. vs Quang Liem LeLost · 0-1White · 2014-10-25 · Round 7.4SPICE Cup Open 2014
  40. vs Alex YermolinskyLost · 1-0Black · 2014-10-23 · Round 5.5SPICE Cup Open 2014
  41. vs Ray RobsonLost · 0-1White · 2014-10-21 · Round 1.2SPICE Cup Open 2014
  42. vs Brian TarhonDraw · ½–½White · 2014-08-29 · Round 3.29US Chess Masters 2014
  43. vs Michael BodekLost · 0-1White · 2014-07-05 · Round 642nd World Open 2014
  44. vs Michael MulyarDraw · ½–½White · 2014-07-03 · Round 242nd World Open 2014
  45. vs Stamatis Kourkoulos-ArditisDraw · ½–½White · 2013-12-28 · Round 11.15WYCC U16 Open 2013
  46. vs Cemil Can Ali MarandiWon · 1-0White · 2013-12-27 · Round 10.17WYCC U16 Open 2013
  47. vs Zhaoqi LiuWon · 0-1Black · 2013-12-26 · Round 9.33WYCC U16 Open 2013
  48. vs Ayan AkhmetovLost · 0-1White · 2013-12-24 · Round 8.15WYCC U16 Open 2013
  49. vs Sayantan DasLost · 1-0Black · 2013-12-23 · Round 7.1WYCC U16 Open 2013
  50. vs Rishi SardanaWon · 1-0White · 2013-12-22 · Round 6.15WYCC U16 Open 2013