Alexander Khalifman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alexander Khalifman |
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| Full name | Alexander Valeryevich Khalifman |
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| Born | 18 January 1966 Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Title | Grandmaster (1990) |
| World Champion | 1999–2000 (FIDE) |
| FIDE rating | 2608 (June 2025) |
| Peak rating | 2702 (October 2001) |
| Peak ranking | No. 10 (July 1991) |
Alexander Valeryevich Khalifman is a well-known Russian chess player and author. He was born on January 18, 1966. In 1990, he earned the top chess title of Grandmaster from FIDE, which is the international chess organization. A big moment in his career was when he became the FIDE World Chess Champion in 1999.
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Early Life
Alexander Khalifman was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. His family was made up of engineers. His grandfather was in charge of the Chaliapin Museum.
Chess Achievements
Alexander Khalifman has won many important chess tournaments. He won the Soviet Union Youth Championship twice, in 1982 and 1984. He also won the European Under-20 Championship in 1985. He was the champion of Moscow in 1985 and 1987.
He continued to win many events, including tournaments in Groningen (1990), Ter Apel (1993), and Eupen (1994). He also won the Russian Championship in 1996. In his home city, he won the Saint Petersburg Championship in both 1996 and 1997. Other wins include tournaments in Aarhus (1997) and Bad Wiessee (1997 and 1998).
Khalifman was part of the Russian team that won gold medals at the Chess Olympiads. These big team competitions happened in 1992, 2000, and 2002. He also helped Russia win the World Team Chess Championship in 1997.
Becoming a Grandmaster
Alexander Khalifman became a Grandmaster in 1990. This is the highest title a chess player can achieve. One of his early strong performances was winning the New York City Open in 1990. He beat many other strong players there.
World Champion Title
His biggest achievement was winning the FIDE World Championship in 1999. He held this important title until the next year. At that time, he was ranked 44th in the world. Even though he wasn't the top-ranked player, he proved he could win against the best.
He later played in the famous Linares chess tournament. He played well there, showing his skill against top opponents.
Coaching Chess
Alexander Khalifman also helps other chess players get better. Since 1998, he has run a chess academy in St. Petersburg called "The Grandmaster Chess School." He runs it with his trainer, Gennady Nesis.
Since 2011, Khalifman has been coaching a chess player named Vladimir Fedoseev. He has also been the coach and captain for the Azerbaijani national chess team since 2013. Khalifman has also helped other top players as a "second." A second is like a coach or assistant who helps a player prepare for matches. He was a second for Alisa Galliamova in the Women's World Chess Championship in 1999. He also helped Anna Ushenina in the Women's World Chess Championship in 2013.
Books Written
Alexander Khalifman has written several books about chess openings. These books help players learn how to start a chess game well.
- Alexander Khalifman (2000–2002). Opening for White according to Kramnik 1.♘f3 (5 volumes). Chess Stars
- Alexander Khalifman (2003–2012). Opening for White according to Anand 1. e4 (14 volumes). Chess Stars
- Alexander Khalifman (2006–2011). Opening for White according to Kramnik 1.♘f3 (revised edition, 5 volumes). Chess Stars
See Also
In Spanish: Aleksandr Jálifman para niños
- List of Jewish chess players
