Chess player Peter Svidler

Born:17/06/1976 (Age 43) Saint Petersburg, Russia
Fide Title:Grandmaster
Fide ID: 4102142
Federation: Russia
Maximum Elo: 2769 (May 2013)
Elo: 2723 (January 2020)
Classification: 29 (January 2020)
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Chess24 contributor Peter Svidler is one of the world's greatest talents in chess. He was once described by Mark Glukhovsky, editor of the Russian magazine "64", as an exception that could cope only with his talent in a world of ultra-competitive and hardworking grandworkers.

He won the last USSR Youth Championship in 1991, and at 1994's U-18 World Cup, but he actually made a name for himself by winning the Senior Russian Championship that same year at the age of 18. So far he has won that event no less than seven times, the last in 2013, followed by what is likely to be the biggest success of his career to date, the Kanty-Mansiysk World Cup (2011). That gave him a spot in the next qualifying tournament for the 2013 World Championships, where he placed third after a final victory over Carlsen.

At the end of 2013, Svidler did not close a good year at the end of 10th out of ten participants at the Alekhine Memorial. As of 2014, he recovered a little and finished seventh in the Candidates Tournament. This square was granted to him by decision of the organization.

El 2015 le trajo seguramente el que es uno de sus mejores resultados deportivos hasta la fecha. En la Copa del Mundo disputada en Bakú, logró llegar a la final después de vencer a Topalov, Yi Wei, Anish Giri... Ya en la final ante Karjakin, empezó con 2 victorias consecutivas pero finalmente fue derrotado en los desempates.

Peter Svidler, an excellent player and a brilliant commentator in tournaments. © Photo: Baku 2015

Sobre el tablero Svidler es un jugador táctico supremo y un reconocido experto de la Defensa Grünfeld (tal vez la respuesta más aguda que tienen las negras contra 1.d4). Fuera del tablero destaca por reírse de sí mismo, sus habilidades al billar, extraordinario buen inglés (lo que le hace ser habitualmente requerido para los comentarios post-partida) y… su amor por el cricket y particularmente la selección inglesa de este deporte, sobre la que tiene un conocimiento enciclopédico.