Sergey Karjakin Celebrates His Birthday

Grandmaster turns 30.

Sergey Karjakin, the youngest grandmaster in the history of chess, vice-world champion (2016), rapid and blitz world champion, winner and medalist of the World Chess Olympiads, World and European team championships, winner of the World Cup (2015) and the Candidates Tournament (2016), celebrates his 30th birthday on this day. 

Chess Federation of Russia wishes Sergey robust health, happiness and new victories to come! 

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The future super-grandmaster was born on January 12, 1990, in Crimea’s capital, Simferopol. He began to take an interest in chess at six and completed the requirement for first-class junior sportsman just one year later. His chess development progressed rapidly: at the age of 12 years and 211 days he became the youngest chess grandmaster in history. Due to this achievement, Karjakin is mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records.

Sergey is not only the youngest grandmaster, but is also the youngest trainer- at the age of 12, he was already a member of Ponomarev’s team of assistants when Ruslan won the title of FIDE world champion. The wunderkind performed the role of “tactical trainer” even though he was always noted for a universal playing style. From childhood, Karjakin played “proper chess” and developed different positions equally, whether they were technical or irrational.

In 2010, the young and promising grandmaster transferred from the Ukrainian federation to the Russian one and moved to Moscow. Soon after, Karjakin began to train with Yury Dokhoian and Alexander Motylev. During the last few years, he has come to the forefront of the world’s leading grandmasters 

In 2015, Sergey Karjakin won the silver medal at the Russian championship, and then he became the World Cup winner, beating his compatriot Peter Svidler in a dramatic final. Both Russian grandmasters qualified for the Candidates Tournament. At the end of 2015, Sergey and Galiya had a son.

The Candidates Tournament in the Russian capital in March 2016 finished with Sergey Karjakin’s total triumph, whereby he won the right to an individual match against Magnus Carlsen through his victory at the finish against Fabiano Caruana. The World Championship Match took place in November 2016 in New York and its intensity led to a true chess boom in Russia. The “regular time” finished with a 6:6 draw (after victory in the 8th match the candidate took the lead, but the champion fought back in the 10th match) and in the tie-break Carlsen won 3:1 and retained his title.

At the very end of 2016, Karjakin became the world blitz champion: at the tournament in Qatar, he split 1-2 places with Carlsen, but he beat the Norwegian grandmaster through additional results. 

In March of 2018, Sergey Karjakin shared 2-3 places at the FIDE Candidates Tournament in Berlin. He scored only 1 point in first four rounds, but then won four games including the one against the future winner Fabiano Caruana. Karjakin and Caruana were sharing 1-2 places with two rounds to go. However, Sergey made two draws, while Caruana won both games to become the challenger. 

In 2017, Sergey Karjakin became a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation. He works in the Committee of the physical culture and promotion of healthy lifestyles. He was a proxy of Vladimir Putin during Presidential elections in 2018.

Grandmaster issues chess books for the beginners together with Ekaterina Volkova.  

Sergey and Galia Karjakin have two sons - Alexey and Mikhail. 

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