Alexander Grischuk – The Time Trouble Genius

Alexander Grischuk is a Russian elite Grandmaster. He is a regular contender in the Candidates Tournament and is widely loved by fans for his honest, humorous interviews and thrilling time-scramble games.

He is certainly in the conversation. Winning the World Blitz Championship three times (2006, 2012, 2015) is a record only matched or beaten by Magnus Carlsen. His ability to spot tactics instantly is legendary.

Grischuk is a perfectionist. He refuses to play a move until he understands the position fully. He often burns his clock in the opening to solve the problems early, trusting his intuition to save him later.

He is married to Kateryna Lagno, another Super-Grandmaster and multiple-time Women's World Blitz Champion. They are arguably the strongest chess couple in history.

He won the title in 2006 (Israel), 2012 (Astana), and 2015 (Berlin), dominating fields that included Carlsen and Anand.

He reached the final of the Candidates matches, losing narrowly to Boris Gelfand. He was one match win away from playing Anand for the World Title.

He won the Russian Chess Championship, arguably the strongest national tournament in the world, staying unbeaten throughout the event.

An affectionate internet nickname given to him for his habit of wearing hoodies, slouching in his chair, and staring down opponents with intense grit.

He won the prestigious Linares Super-tournament on tiebreaks over Ivanchuk and Magnus Carlsen.

He is famous for having 1 minute left for 20 moves, yet playing with higher accuracy than his opponent who has an hour. He thrives on adrenaline.

He led Russia to gold medals at the World Team Chess Championships (2005, 2010) and the European Team Championships.

He can play anything: 1.e4, 1.d4, 1.c4. He is known for playing the Sicilian with Black and main lines with White.

For a few years, he took a break from chess to play professional poker, which he says helped his chess psychology and risk management.

He qualified for and played in multiple Candidates Tournaments (2011, 2013, 2018, 2020), proving his consistency at the absolute top.

His press conferences are legendary for their dry humor. When asked about his strategy, he once said, "I don't have a strategy, I just try to play good moves."

He is one of the few players to have beaten Magnus Carlsen multiple times in classical chess.

He crossed the elite 2800 barrier in 2014, reaching a peak of 2810, making him one of the highest-rated players in history.

He is a lifelong devotee of the Sicilian Najdorf, using it to fight for wins with Black against the world's best.

He won the FIDE Grand Prix series, securing his spot in the 2018 Candidates Tournament.

He became a Grandmaster at age 16 in 2000, which was considered incredibly young for that era.

With White, he successfully employed the King's Indian Attack to avoid theory and get a playable game.

His marriage to Kateryna Lagno makes them a "Power Couple" with a combined ELO of over 5300.

Despite his chaotic clock handling, he cites the scientific approach of Botvinnik as a major influence on his preparation.

He has remained in the World Top 20 for over 20 consecutive years, adapting his style from young tactician to wise veteran.