He was awarded the International Master title in 1996 before achieving Grandmaster status in 1998. Yemelin bagged important titles from several local and international tournaments but his notable achievements includes winning the Saint Vincent Open tournament in 2000, becoming the Russian national champion in 2001, and securing the 4th spot in the European Individual Chess Championship in 2001.
Yemelin won the prestigious 2014 Canadian Open Chess Championship held in Montreal, and he also participated in the 2015 FIDE World Cup but was unable to advance beyond the first round. In terms of team competitions, Yemelin has also represented Russia in the 2005 World Team Chess Championship.
Apart from being a player, Yemelin served as a trainer as well. He was the coach of the Russian women's team who participated in the 32nd Chess Olympiad in 1996.
Throughout his career, Yemelin has faced some of the world's top chess masters, including Vladimir Kramnik, Ehsan Ghaem-Maghami, and Pavel Tregubov.