GMShakhriyar Mamedyarov

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov grew up in Sumgait in a family deeply involved in chess. His father, a former boxer, taught him the game in 1993, after which he joined a local chess school with coach Valida Bairamova. His sisters Zeinab and Turkan also became woman grandmasters. His breakthrough year was 2003, when he won both the World under-18 Championship and the World Junior Championship. He won the junior title again in 2005, becoming its first two-time winner. In 2013 he became World Rapid Champion. Mamedyarov also helped Azerbaijan win European team titles in 2009, 2013 and 2017. His major individual victories include consecutive Shamkir titles in 2016 and 2017 and the 2018 Biel tournament, where he defeated Magnus Carlsen. His closest approach to a world-title match came with second place in the 2018 Candidates Tournament.