Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi is a highly-ranked Russian chess grandmaster who was born on July 14, 1990. He was first recognized as a rising talent in the early 2000s when he claimed victories at the U12 and U14 World Youth Chess Championships in 2002 and 2003 respectively.
He was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 2007. This accolade came as a result of his impressive performances in international tournaments, which included his victory at the Aeroflot Open A in early 2008. Later that year, he became the European Individual Chess Champion.
Nepomniachtchi's career has continued with numerous significant victories at national and international level including winning the Russian Chess Championship in 2010, the Tal Memorial in 2016 and placing first in the Moscow leg of the FIDE Grand Prix in 2019.
He is renowned for his rapid play and unconventional openings. He is also a talented blitz player, having won the World Blitz Chess Championship in 2010.
In addition to being a formidable player over the board, Nepomniachtchi is a prolific commentator on chess, and is a regular contributor on live-streamed coverage of top chess events. He has also served as a second to fellow grandmaster Sergey Karjakin.
In 2020, he won the Candidates Tournament and hence became the official challenger for the World Chess Championship 2021 to challenge reigning champion Magnus Carlsen.