Rafael Leitao is the top Brazilian grandmaster whose work we are very happy to feature on Chessable. Rafael was World Champion twice (U-12 and U-18) as well as seven times Brazilian Champion.
Rafael is also a prominent chess coach teaching in English, Portuguese and Spanish, and he can often be found playing chess online, known by his handle "Pigzilla" or "Neohal".
Leitao is a solid positional player who doesn't shy away from complications if necessary. His chess teaching philosophy is based on calculation training and a deep knowledge of the chess classics. He is happy to use the Queen's Pawn with white and his favourite Defense with black is the Najdorf. Bobby Fischer is his most admired chess player.
Rafael has many interests besides chess. He likes reading fiction and practises a number of different sports. He is a football fanatic (as most Brazilians are) and his favourite football team is Botafogo. He is also a big fan of Barcelona and Manchester City.
Rafael also runs a website at www.rafaelleitao.com where he shares articles, analysed games and news about the chess world.
