Sergey Karjakin

Born on 12 January 1990 in Simferopol, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Crimea).

Learned chess at age five and quickly became a prodigy; he was coached by his mother and by strong local trainers.

Became the world's youngest Grandmaster in 2002 at age 12 years and 7 months, breaking Judit Polgar's record (which was later broken by his compatriot, Gukesh Dommaraju).

Attended school in Simferopol while pursuing his chess career; he balanced his studies with intense training and competition.

He was a product of the strong Soviet and Ukrainian chess systems, which nurtured his early talent.

One of the strongest players in the world in the 2010s, ranked as high as No. 4 in the world.

Won the World Rapid Championship in 2016.

A World Championship Candidate on multiple occasions, reaching the final in 2016, where he lost to Magnus Carlsen in a tiebreak after a 6–6 draw.

Won the Chess World Cup in 2015.

Represented Russia after 2009; he was a key member of the Russian national team, winning multiple Olympiad medals.

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

In 2022, he was one of the few top players to publicly support the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which led to widespread condemnation and a ban from many international events.

Karjakin's 2016 World Championship match against Carlsen was one of the most dramatic in recent memory; he came within one game of winning the title before Carlsen prevailed in the tiebreak.

He was a child prodigy who was featured in the documentary The Chess Players.

His political views have made him a controversial figure in the chess world, and he has largely withdrawn from international competition.

"I always play to win, but I also respect my opponent."

Sergey Karjakin: Best Games by Alexey Kuzmin — a collection of his best games.

Karjakin: Move by Move by Cyrus Lakdawala — a modern instructional work.