Evgeny Bareev

Born on 21 November 1966 in Yemanzhelinsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast, in the Ural Mountains of Russia.

The second son of two schoolteachers.

Learned chess at a young age and showed exceptional talent, becoming the World Under-16 Cadet Champion.

Was awarded the FIDE Grandmaster title in 1989, and only one year later, he won his first Olympiad as a member of the Soviet team.

Largely self-taught at the highest level, he developed his understanding through deep study and competition.

One of the world's top players in the 1990s and early 2000s, ranked fourth in the world in 1992 and again in 2003.

Won the World Under-16 Cadet Championship and was a member of the Soviet national team at the 1990 Chess Olympiad, winning team gold.

Represented Russia at four more Olympiads (1994, 1996, 1998, 2006), winning team gold in 1994, 1996, and 1998.

Two-time winner of the World Team Championship and two-time winner of the European Team Chess Championship (1992 and 2003).

Switched allegiance to Canada in 2015 and immediately became the highest-ranked grandmaster ever to represent Canada.

Known for his solid, positional style and his deep opening preparation. He is also a highly respected trainer and writer.

Bareev was a key member of the Russian team during its dominant Olympiad run in the 1990s.

He is known for his sense of humor and his willingness to challenge conventional chess wisdom — as evidenced by his book title Say No to Chess Principles!.

He later became a successful coach, working with top players and sharing his deep understanding of the game.

"Chess has very strict, but also fairly simple, rules: rapid development… but the players behind the moves are what matters."

Say No to Chess Principles! (2019) — a provocative and insightful work on modern chess approach.

From London to Elista (with Ilya Levitov) — a detailed account of the 2000 and 2006 World Championship matches.