Ian Nepomniachtchi
Russia’s top-ranked active player and one of very few to win two Candidates Tournaments in a row. Nepomniachtchi challenged Magnus Carlsen for the world title in 2021, then played Ding Liren in 2023 after Carlsen stepped aside, losing in rapid tiebreaks.
He has won the Russian championship twice and the 2010 European title, and in 2024 shared the World Blitz title with Carlsen after the two agreed to split it when three tiebreak games were drawn.
He missed the 2026 Candidates, but has kept winning: the Gashimov Memorial in 2024 and again in December 2025, and the Aeroflot Open in 2026.
Career highlights
- Won the Candidates twice in a row (2020–21 and 2022)
- World Championship challenger in 2021 and 2023
- 2024 World Blitz co-champion with Magnus Carlsen
- Two-time Russian Champion
- Peak rating 2795, world No. 2 in February 2023
Titles
- Candidates Tournament: 2020, 2022
From the winners lists on our event pages.
Ian Nepomniachtchi in The Chess Herald
- Total Chess Rating Puts Carlsen at 2830, 51 Points Clear
- Total Chess Fills Its 24-Player Field With Six More Signings
- Carlsen-Nepomniachtchi Renew Rivalry, This Time for a Team Trophy
- Weekly Recap: Bengaluru's Standings Keep Flipping While FIDE Builds Out Its Calendar
- A Second's Difference: GCL's Prodigy Board Controversy
FIDE profile · Wikipedia
Profile last reviewed September 29, 2026. Ratings update monthly from FIDE.