Anish Giri’s Playing Style, Rated FIFA-Style by David Howell

“Take away my attacking points, just don’t touch my strategy.”

What happens when you give chess stars FIFA-style ratings? A lot of roasting, a few protests, and surprisingly honest insights. In a lighthearted interview at the Play Magnus office in Oslo, grandmasters Anish Giri and David Howell broke down Giri’s playing style, not with engine analysis, but with numbers, banter, and self-awareness.

The result? A surprisingly accurate profile of what makes Giri tick at the board: strengths, quirks, and all.

Attack: 83

Giri’s verdict: “People don’t see me as an attacker… probably like 81.”
Howell’s score: 83
Anish’s reaction: Mildly surprised, but also slightly dismissive.

“I’m definitely not a big attacker,” Giri said with a smirk. “If you see my games, there are barely any attacks. Sometimes I go for it against lower-rated players, but not too often.”

He acknowledged the reputation: more of a builder than a brawler. And honestly, he’s fine with that. “Take points away from attack,” he later admitted, “that’s fair.”

Defense: 88

Giri’s guess: 92
Howell’s score: 88
Reaction: Disappointed but understanding.

“I do think I’m actually fine at defense,” Giri said. “If I’m in good form, I lose very rarely. When I’m not… well, my resilience fades.”

His losses, he noted, tend to be “spectacular”, a fact Howell cheekily confirmed. “You bring the best out of people,” he joked. Giri laughed but took the compliment: “Many great losses. Maybe I’ll write a book someday: My Memorable Defeats.”

Calculation: 86

Giri’s guess: 89
Howell’s score: 86
Reaction: Accepts it gladly.

“I thought you might overrate me,” Giri admitted. While people often associate him with calculation, Giri doesn’t see himself as a pure calculator. “Not compared to others. I know I can calculate when I want to, but it’s not my main strength anymore.”

Strategy: 92

Giri’s guess: 91
Howell’s score: 92
Reaction: “Thank you. Well deserved.”

This one, Giri fully embraced. “You had to give me one over 90,” he teased Howell, “and this is the one.” Strategic understanding, positional feel, that’s where Giri thrives. Howell agreed: “You’re hard to beat and always in control when you’re in form.”

Intuition: 84

Giri’s guess: “Something disgusting like 87”
Howell’s score: 84
Reaction: “Oh boy. Oh boy.”

Ouch. This was the one that hurt. Giri argued that he’s evolved: “When I was younger, yes, calculation. But now, with age and experience, I rely more on intuition.”

He noted that even online apps mislabel him as a pure calculator. “That’s not me anymore,” he protested. “I deserve more here.”

Time Management: 87

Giri’s guess: 90
Howell’s score: 87
Reaction: Shrug. “Could’ve gone higher.”

Giri rated himself solid in time handling, not a bullet-speed berserker like Nepomniachtchi, but not prone to time trouble either. Howell agreed, giving him a respectable 87.

“I don’t use it as a weapon, but I’m no victim either,” Giri explained.

Overall Score: 86

Giri’s guess: 85
Howell’s score: 86
Reaction: “We’re still friends, right?”

This final number – the average of it all – pleased Giri. “I expected this from you,” he smiled. “We’re as good friends now as we were before this.”

Howell confirmed: “You’ve been in great form in 2025, so I was trying to be fair.”

So, What Is Anish Giri’s Playing Style?

Giri is the archetype of a modern strategic master. He plays with structure, subtlety, and deep preparation. His self-awareness is striking, he knows where he stands and doesn’t pretend to be something he’s not.

Strengths:

• Strategy (92): His hallmark. Deep plans, strong preparation, and positional clarity.
• Defense (88): Resilient, rarely collapses, unless out of form.
• Calculation (86): Still sharp when needed, but no longer the foundation.

Weaknesses:

• Attack (83): Not his go-to. Prefers control over chaos.
• Intuition (84): Underrated by others, and by Howell, but possibly improving with age.

X-Factor: Giri’s honesty and humor may not show on the board, but they’re part of his enduring appeal. He doesn’t bluff. He calculates, adapts, and plays with clarity.

Or as he put it:
“If you need to take points away from me, take them from attack. But bump up the rest.”

Final Word?
He may not be the flashiest player on the tour, but Anish Giri is hard to beat, strategically supreme, and always a class act, even when being roasted.