Bu Xiangzhi is a Chinese chess Grandmaster. In 1999, he became the world's youngest Grandmaster at the age of 13 years, 10 months, 13 days, breaking the record previously held by Ruslan Ponomariov.
Bu Xiangzhi was born in Qingdao, Shandong in 1985. He began playing chess at age six, and quickly showcased his exceptional talent in the game by winning the Qingdao Junior Chess Championship at the age of seven. He achieved the title of Chinese National Champion in 2004, finishing ahead of multiple high-profile grandmasters.
Bu has represented China in many major international chess competitions. His performance at the 35th World Chess Olympiad in 2002 earned him an individual gold medal. He also emerged victorious in the 2004 and 2005 Aeroflot Open, a prestigious tournament held in Moscow.
Notable victories include defeating former world champion Veselin Topalov at the 2008 World Chess Olympiad and thwarting world champion Magnus Carlsen at the 2017 Chess World Cup.
Bu remains a top-ranking player and continues to contribute to China’s global chess presence. In addition to his playing career, Bu is also dedicated to teaching chess and has published a book on chess tactics.