Iranian-born Firouzja: World Number 2 and Youngest Chess Player Ever To Break 2800
Sports and Society News Blog, Kodoom.com
According to Chess.com, Iranian-born chess Grandmaster (GM) Alireza Firouzja is the most recent addition to the 2800-club after scoring a sensational 8/9 at the European Team Championship. While there are currently over a thousand grandmasters in the world, only 14 players in history had crossed the 2800-rating barrier. At 18 years and five months, he is the youngest ever to do so. GM Magnus Carlsen was also 18 years old but earned the 2800 rating just barely before turning 19. With the win on Sunday, Firouzja is also the new world number-two, behind Carlsen.
The former Iranian, who officially became a French citizen on Tuesday, won the top board individual gold medal at the European teams in Slovenia with 8/9, helped France to the team silver behind Ukraine’s gold, jumped to No 2 in the ratings with only Carlsen ahead of him, and became the youngest ever 2800+ player, eclipsing the world champion’s record, set in 2010, by six months.
In 2019, Firouzja, then Iran's 16-year-old Chess prodigy and Grandmaster (FIDE rating of 2723, Iran's top ranked and the world’s number two junior player) announced he would change his nationality after the Iranian chess federation banned him from the World Rapid & Blitz in Moscow. The federation had penalized Parham Maghsoodloo and Amin Tabatabaei, two other Iranian Grandmasters, playing games against Israeli opponents in a recent blitz tournament. Despite their victory over Israeli opponents, both Grandmasters were reprimanded in Iran because of the hardliners' policy of not recognizing Israel as a legitimate government, but an occupied land (news source). Subsequently, the federation decided to withdraw participation of all Iranian players from the World Rapid & Blitz, but Firouzja did not go along with this decision.
Related:
Fed Up with Politics, Iran's Chess Prodigy Will Compete for Another Country
Why are Iran's Top Athletes Leaving the Country in Droves?
Related to Chess:
- Carlsen Praises Iran's Firouzja As Potential Future World Chess Champion
- Video: Iranian Chess Prodigy Defeats World Champion
- Why are Iran's Top Athletes Leaving the Country in Droves?
- Fed Up with Politics, Iran's Chess Prodigy Will Compete for Another Country
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Related to Firouzja:
- Carlsen Praises Iran's Firouzja As Potential Future World Chess Champion
- Video: Iranian Chess Prodigy Defeats World Champion
- Why are Iran's Top Athletes Leaving the Country in Droves?
- Fed Up with Politics, Iran's Chess Prodigy Will Compete for Another Country
- Young Iranian Makes History, Wins World Chess Junior Championship Without a Coach
