Alexei Shirov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alexei Shirov |
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Alexei Shirov, 2010
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| Country | Soviet Union (until 1991) Latvia (1991–95, 2011–18) Spain (1995–2011, since 2018) |
| Born | 4 July 1972 Riga, Latvia |
| Title | Grandmaster (1990) |
| FIDE rating | 2647 (August 2025) |
| Peak rating | 2755 (January 2008) |
| Peak ranking | No. 2 (January 1994) |
Alexei Shirov (born 4 July 1972) is a famous chess player from Latvia and Spain. He is known for his exciting and attacking style of play. In 1994, he was ranked as the second-best chess player in the world.
In 1998, Alexei Shirov won a special match against another strong player, Vladimir Kramnik. This win meant he earned the right to challenge Garry Kasparov for the world championship title. However, this big match never happened because they couldn't find enough money to support it.
Contents
Alexei Shirov's Chess Journey
Becoming a Chess Star
Alexei Shirov started playing chess at a young age and quickly became very good. In 1988, he won the World Youth Chess Championship for players under 16. Just two years later, in 1990, he was the runner-up at the World Junior Chess Championship. In that same year, he earned the highest title in chess: Grandmaster. This title means he is one of the best chess players in the world.
Winning Tournaments and Reaching Top Ranks
Shirov has won many international chess tournaments throughout his career. Some of his notable wins include:
- Biel in 1991
- Madrid in 1997 (shared first place)
- Ter Apel in 1997
- Monte Carlo in 1998
- Mérida in 2000
- The Paul Keres Memorial Rapid Tournament in Tallinn (won multiple times: 2004, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013)
- The Canadian Open Chess Championship in 2005 and again in 2023
In 1994, Shirov reached a very high ranking. He was number two on the FIDE rating list. FIDE is the international organization that governs chess.
The World Championship Challenge That Didn't Happen
In 1998, Shirov's ranking climbed again, making him one of the top players. Because of his high ranking, he was invited to play a special match against Vladimir Kramnik. The winner of this match would get to challenge Garry Kasparov for the world title. Shirov won this important match, showing his strength. He won two games, didn't lose any, and had seven draws.
However, the big match against Kasparov never took place. They couldn't find enough money or sponsors to make it happen. Later, Kasparov played Kramnik for the world title instead. Shirov believed that he was the rightful challenger.
Later World Championship Events
In 2000, Shirov reached the final of the FIDE World Chess Championship. He played against Viswanathan Anand but lost the match.
In 2007, Shirov played in the Candidates Tournament. This tournament helps decide who will challenge for the World Chess Championship. He won his first match but was later eliminated. This was his last time playing in a Candidates Tournament.
He also played in the Chess World Cup 2007, which was another way to qualify for the World Championship. He made it to the final but lost to Gata Kamsky.
Recent Achievements
Alexei Shirov continued to play and win tournaments.
- In 2009, he won the M-Tel Masters tournament in Bulgaria.
- In 2010, he won a preliminary tournament in Shanghai, which allowed him to play in the Grand Slam final.
- In 2011, he won the Lublin Union Memorial tournament in Poland.
- In 2012, he won the Aivars Gipslis Memorial in Riga and the Buenos Aires Masters Tournament.
- In 2015, he won the Riga Technical University Open.
- In 2017, he won the Mikhail Tal Memorial blitz tournament.
- In 2018 and 2019, he won the Arica Open twice.
- In 2020, he won a special "Brilliancy Prize" for an amazing game during the FIDE Online Chess Olympiad. He played for the Spanish team and had a fantastic score.
- In 2021, he won the Salamanca Chess Festival.
- In July 2023, Shirov won the Canadian Open Chess Championship again, showing he is still a top player.
Alexei Shirov's Life Outside Chess
Alexei Shirov is of Russian background. In 1994, he married an Argentine woman and moved to Spain, becoming a Spanish citizen. He later married another chess grandmaster, Viktorija Čmilytė, from 2001 to 2007. In 2010, he married Olga Dolgova. He has lived in both Spain and Latvia.
Alexei Shirov's Playing Style
Alexei Shirov is famous for his exciting and aggressive way of playing chess. He loves to attack his opponents! Because of this, people often compare him to another famous Latvian chess player and former world champion, Mikhail Tal. Shirov even studied with Tal when he was younger.
A Famous Game: Shirov's Amazing Move
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One of Shirov's most famous games was against Veselin Topalov in 1998. In this game, Shirov made an incredible move that is still talked about today. He sacrificed his only bishop in a very tricky ending of the game. This move, 47...Bh3!!, is considered one of the greatest chess moves ever made. It showed his brilliant and daring style.
Books by Alexei Shirov
Alexei Shirov has written two books about his best chess games. These books let other chess players learn from his amazing strategies and moves.
See also
In Spanish: Alekséi Shírov para niños
