Born on Oct. 31, 1983, Grischuk made it to the semis of the FIDE world championship in 2000 — when he was only 16 — and the quarterfinals in 2004. He finished in the top 10 in the 2005 FIDE World Cup, which qualified him for the 2007 candidates tournament in May-June 2007. He won his matches against Vladimir Malakhov and Sergei Rublevsky, to advance to the eight-player FIDE world championship tournament in 2007. He placed last.
He is now ranked 14th in the world on the FIDE rating list. His career-best placing so far has been seventh in Oct. 2003. He is married to Ukrainian WGM Natalia Zhukova.
Grischuk is known as one of the best blitz chess players in the world. In 2006 he won the world blitz championship in Israel with 10.5 points out of 15 games, winning 10 games. He is also a two-time winner of the Ordix Open, the world’s biggest rapid tourney.
Asked in an interview which players influenced him most, Alex replied: “Nimzovich, Fischer and Karpov.” Among the current players his favorites are Morozevich and Shirov. He says he likes players with an active and somewhat unusual style because “that’s how I play too!”
Game of the week. Here is one of his wins at Linares. IM Jack Peters annotates.
White: GM Alexander Grischuk (2733)
Black: GM Wang Yue (2739)
Linares 2009
1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 dxc4 5 a4 Bf5 The Slav Defense. 6 Ne5 The main line begins 6 e3 e6 7 Bxc4 Bb4. Nbd7 7 Nxc4 Nb6 Not bad, but less popular than 7…Qc7 and 7…e6. 8 Ne5 a5 9 e3 g6 Perhaps fearing 9…e6 10 g4!? Bg6 11 h4. 10 Bd3 Be6 11 0-0 Bg7 12 f4 Nfd7 13 Nf3 White has a small plus which 13…0-0 14 e4 would not disturb. Instead, Black seeks counterplay. c5!? 14 Ng5! cxd4 Not 14…Bc4? because 15 Bxc4 Nxc4 16 Qb3 Nd6 17 Nce4! 0-0 18 Nxc5 gains a pawn. 15 Nxe6 fxe6 16 Ne4 0-0 Both 16…dxe3 and 16…Nd5 favor White after 17 Ng5. 17 Qg4 Rf5 18 Qh3 Setting up 19 Ng5. Nc5 19 Nxc5 Rxc5 20 Qxe6+ Kh8 21 e4 White has the better pawn structure and two useful Bishops. Grischuk correctly aims for an endgame. Rac8 22 e5 R8c6 23 Qf7 Nd5 24 Bd2 Qf8 25 Qxf8+ Bxf8 26 Rac1 e6 27 Kf2 b6 28 Kf3 Kg7 29 g3 Rxc1 30 Rxc1 Rxc1 31 Bxc1 Extraneous factors are gone. Black’s position probably cannot be held. Kf7 32 Bc4 Ne3 33 b3! The opposite Bishops would save Black after 33 Bxe3? dxe3. Bc5 34 Ke2 h5 35 Bb2 g5 Nor does 35…h4 36 Kf3 hxg3 37 hxg3 help, as the d-pawn will fall. 36 fxg5?! Giving Black hope. The ruthless 36 Kd3 gxf4 37 gxf4 Ng4 38 Bxd4 clinches the win against 38…Nf2+ 39 Bxf2 Bxf2 40 f5 or 38…Bxd4 39 Kxd4 Nxh2 40 Be2! Ng4 41 Ke4 Ke7 42 Kf3 Nh6 43 Bd3 Kf7 44 Kg3. Ng4 37 Bd3 Nxe5? Not so clear is 37…Nxh2! 38 g6+ Kg7 39 Bc1 Ng4 40 Bf4 Ne3, thinking of 41…Nf5. 38 Be4 Ng4 Tougher is 38…Kg7 39 Bc1 Nf7, but White wins anyway with 40 h4 e5 41 Bf3 Kg6 42 g4! hxg4 43 Be4+! Kg7 44 h5. 39 h3 Ne3 40 Bc1 e5 After 40 …Nf5 41 Bf4, the d-pawn is doomed. 41 Bxe3! Now the opposite Bishops endgame is easy. dxe3 42 h4 Kg7 43 Kf3 Kf7 44 Bd3 Bd4 45 Be2 Kg7 46 Ke4 Kg6 47 Bd1Zugzwang! Bc3 Or 47…Bc5 48 Kxe5 Bb4 49 Be2 Be1 50 Kf4 Bf2 51 g4!, obtaining connected passers. 48 Kxe3 Kf5 To restrain g3-g4. If 48…Be1, White achieves this advance by 49 Bc2+ Kf7 50 Kf3 Kg7 51 Kg2 Kf7 52 Kh3. 49 Bxh5 Be1 50 Kf3 e4+ 51 Kg2 Bc3 Useless is 51…e3 52 Be2 Ke4 53 Kh3. 52 Be2 Be1 53 Kh3 Bf2 54 Bb5! Be1 55 Bd7+ Ke5 56 Kg4 Preparing h4-h5-h6 and g5-g6-g7. e3 57 Bb5 Kd5 and Black Resigns.
Puzzler.
White — Qc2, Nd3, pawn on d5, Bd6, Re7, Kh3
Black — Bb2, Qc3, Re4, Nf3, Kh8, pawns on d7, f4
White to play and mate in two.
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