Leinier Dominguez Perez, born September 23, 1983, in Havana, Cuba, is a Cuban-American chess grandmaster known for his versatility and longevity at the top level. He earned his GM title in 2001 and dominated the Cuban Championship five times (2002, 2003, 2006, 2012, 2016). In 2008, Dominguez won the World Blitz Chess Championship, demonstrating his strength across all time controls. In 2018, he changed federations to the United States, immediately becoming one of America’s top players and serving as a second to Fabiano Caruana in the 2018 World Championship match.

Dominguez is renowned for his deep opening preparation, employing the Ruy López Berlin Defense and Giuoco Piano as White, and the Sicilian Najdorf and Catalan as Black. As of November 2025, he holds classical, rapid, and blitz ratings of 2738, 2703, and 2627, respectively, ranking among the world’s top 20. His positional understanding, tactical awareness, and consistency across formats make him a respected figure in modern chess.