Anish Giri

Born on 28 June 1994 in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a Russian mother, Olga, and a father of Nepalese descent, Sanjay.

Began playing chess at age six with his mother; by age eleven, he was rated above 2100.

In 2002, at age eight, his family moved to Sapporo, Japan, where his father worked. He attended a local school, learned Japanese, and joined the Japan Chess Association and Sapporo Chess Club.

His family later settled in the Netherlands, where he completed his education.

Graduated from Grotius College in Delft, Netherlands, in June 2013.

Completed a bilingual atheneum program and had no problems at school.

One of the strongest players in the world, ranked in the top 10 for much of his career; a World Championship Candidate on multiple occasions.

Became the youngest Grandmaster in the world in 2009 at age 14 years and 7 months.

Finished joint second at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in 2015, one of his best results.

Known for his solid, positional style and his exceptional drawing ability; he is one of the most difficult players in the world to beat.

A contributing editor to New in Chess magazine and a respected author.

Giri is known for his wit and his engaging personality, making him one of the most popular figures in the chess world.

His quote about Magnus Carlsen after defeating him in 2011 became famous: "Carlsen will probably not lose like this again in the next ten years."

He is fluent in multiple languages, including Dutch, Russian, English, and Japanese.

"The black pieces are acting like a mutated hedgehog which soon will turn into an elephant with horns."

"Carlsen will probably not lose like this again in the next ten years."

Anish Giri: My Junior Years in 20 Games (2014) — his first book, presenting 20 fondly remembered games in his trademark instructive and witty style.

The Dragon Sicilian: A Take-No-Prisoners Repertoire Versus 1.e4 — a comprehensive opening repertoire.