Ernesto Inarkiev is a Russian chess Grandmaster of Kalmyk origin, born in 1985. He is not only one of the top players in Russia, but has also ranked among the world's top players. Inarkiev has won a range of significant titles including the European Individual Chess Championship in 2016 and the Moscow Open in 2009. He additionally won the World Youth Chess Championship in 2002 in the under-16 category.
In 2019, he was named head of the FIDE commission for the development of chess in Africa. Notably, Inarkiev also participated in the infamous tussle involving a controversial "passed move" rule with Magnus Carlsen at the 2017 Norway Chess Tournament.
Inarkiev is also the organizer of the annual "Tower of Concord Chess Festival" in Elista, the capital of the Republic of Kalmykia. This festival is known for its strong round-robin event, the "Inarkiev Challenge."