Sergey Karjakin facts for kids

In this article, the patronymic is Alexandrovich and the family name is Karjakin.

Quick facts for kids Sergey Karjakin
Karjakin in 2018
Full name	Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
Country	Ukraine (until 2009, stripped of citizenship in 2025) Russia (since 2009)
Born	(1990-01-12) 12 January 1990 (age 35) Simferopol, Crimean Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Title	Grandmaster (2003)
FIDE rating	2752 (June 2025)
Peak rating	2788 (July 2011)
Peak ranking	No. 4 (July 2011)


Member of the Federation Council for Crimea
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 September 2024

Personal details
Political party	United Russia

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin (born 12 January 1990) is a Russian grandmaster. He is known for his amazing chess skills. He used to hold the record for the world's youngest grandmaster ever! He earned this title when he was just 12 years and 7 months old.

Sergey Karjakin won the European U10 Chess Championship in 1999. He also became the World U12 Chess Champion in 2001. He earned the International Master title at age 11. In 2003, he officially became a grandmaster.

He played for Ukraine in the Chess Olympiad in 2004. There, he won both team and individual gold medals. He later switched to represent Russia in 2009. For Russia, he won individual gold at the 2010 Chess Olympiad. He also helped Russia win team gold at the World Team Chess Championship in 2013 and 2019.

Karjakin won the 2012 World Rapid Chess Championship. He also won the Norway Chess tournament in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, he won the Chess World Cup 2015. This win allowed him to play in the Candidates Tournament 2016. He won that tournament too, which meant he got to challenge for the World Chess Championship.

In November 2016, he played against Magnus Carlsen for the World Championship title. The match was very close, ending in a 6–6 tie in the main games. Carlsen won in the faster tie-break games. Karjakin later won the 2016 World Blitz Chess Championship. He also competed in the Candidates Tournament in 2018 and 2022.

Becoming a Chess Prodigy
- Early Wins and Records
- Playing Against the Best
Career Highlights
Playing Style
Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Becoming a Chess Prodigy

Sergey Karjakin started learning chess when he was five years old. He joined a chess club in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. His coach was Vladislav Borovikov. Sergey became an International Master when he was 11 years and 11 months old.

Early Wins and Records

In 1999, he won the U10 European championship. In 2001, he won the U12 world championship. That same year, he tied for first place in the U14 European championship. In January 2002, when he was just 12, he helped fellow Ukrainian Ruslan Ponomariov during the final of the FIDE World Chess Championship 2002.

Karjakin became the world's youngest grandmaster in August 2002. He was 12 years and 7 months old. This record lasted for 19 years! In 2021, an American player named Abhimanyu Mishra broke his record.

In 2003, Karjakin won a six-game match against Alexandra Kosteniuk. He also tied for second place in the Ukrainian Chess Championship.

Playing Against the Best

In 2004, Karjakin played in the FIDE World Chess Championship 2004. He also defeated the world champion, Vladimir Kramnik, in a fast game. In October, Karjakin was the only human player to beat a computer in a team championship in Spain. He beat a computer called Deep Junior.

At the 36th Chess Olympiad in 2004, he was the youngest player on the Ukrainian team. They won a gold medal! He also won an individual gold medal for his great performance.

In April 2005, Karjakin entered the world's top 100 chess players. He won the Young Stars of the World tournament in Russia in May. In July, he tied for third place in the European Individual Chess Championship.

Career Highlights

Early Career Successes

Karjakin at the Corus Tournament in 2006

In 2006, Karjakin played in the Corus A tournament for the first time. He scored well, showing his skill. That same year, he played in the NH Chess Tournament in Amsterdam. His team, "Rising Stars," won against a team of experienced players.

In 2007, Karjakin was the best player in the NH Chess Tournament. This earned him an invitation to the 2008 Amber chess tournament. In October 2007, he finished second in the blindfold chess World Cup.

By January 2008, just before his 18th birthday, Karjakin's rating went above 2700. This is a big achievement that shows a player is among the "elite."

Major Tournament Wins

In February 2009, Karjakin won his first big tournament, the A group of the Corus chess tournament. He also won the ACP World Rapid Cup in May 2010.

In June 2011, Karjakin took second place in the Bazna Kings Tournament in Romania. This helped him move up to fourth place in the world rankings.

Karjakin in 2012

In July 2012, Karjakin won the World Rapid Chess Championship in Kazakhstan. He was a full point ahead of Magnus Carlsen, who was the world's number one player.

In May 2013, he won the first Norway Chess tournament. He was half a point ahead of Carlsen. In June 2014, Karjakin won the Norway Chess tournament again, for the second year in a row.

World Cup and Candidates Tournament

Karjakin won the Chess World Cup 2015. He had a tough match against Peter Svidler, but he won in the tie-breaks. By winning the World Cup, Karjakin qualified for the 2016 Candidates Tournament.

In March 2016, Karjakin won the Candidates Tournament 2016 in Moscow. This meant he earned the right to play against Magnus Carlsen for the title of World Chess Champion. He won the last round against Fabiano Caruana to finish first.

World Championship Match and Blitz Title

The World Chess Championship 2016 took place in New York City. Karjakin and Carlsen played 12 long games, which ended in a 6–6 tie. Carlsen then won the match in the faster tie-break games.

Karjakin won the 2016 World Blitz Chess Championship in December 2016. He tied with Carlsen in points, but Karjakin won on a tie-break rule. This showed how dominant both players were in the event.

Later Career and Challenges

Sergey Karjakin in Moscow in 2017

In 2018, Karjakin competed in the Candidates Tournament 2018 again, finishing third. In March 2019, he was part of the Russian team that won the World Team Championship.

In July–August 2021, Karjakin played in the Chess World Cup 2021. He reached the finals, but lost to Polish grandmaster Jan-Krzysztof Duda, finishing second. This result qualified him for the Candidates Tournament 2022.

In March 2022, the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission banned him from playing in FIDE-rated events for six months. This was because of his public support for Russia's actions in Ukraine. This ban meant he could not play in the Candidates Tournament 2022. Karjakin said he was a patriot first and a chess player second.

After the ban ended, Karjakin chose not to play in tournaments where he could not represent Russia. He has played very few official games since January 2022.

Playing Style

Karjakin is known for his strong defensive skills. People sometimes call him Russia's "Minister of Defense." He is very good at defending difficult positions, even against top players like Magnus Carlsen. He is not afraid to play for a small disadvantage if it is his best option. However, he can also play very aggressively when the game calls for it.

Personal Life

Sergey Karjakin is an ethnic Russian and an Eastern Orthodox Christian.

He married Galiya Kamalova in May 2014. She is a secretary for the Moscow chess federation. They have two sons. Before this, he was married to Ukrainian chess player Kateryna Dolzhykova.

In 2009, Karjakin became a Russian citizen. He then switched from playing for Ukraine to playing for Russia. He has lived in Moscow since 2009.

In 2013, he graduated from the Russian State Social University. He studied social pedagogy.

In January 2024, Karjakin was in a serious car accident. He was a passenger in a car that flipped over. He broke some ribs, but his injuries were not life-threatening.