GMYi Wei

Wei Yi was born in Yancheng in 1999 and won both Asian and world under-twelve titles in 2010. At thirteen he became a grandmaster, completing his final norm in Reykjavík. His 2013 World Cup debut included victories over Ian Nepomniachtchi and Alexei Shirov. He helped China win Olympiad gold in 2014, then won three consecutive Chinese championships from 2015 to 2017. His 2018 Asian Championship victory added another major title. That year he also enrolled at Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management, combining education with a reduced tournament schedule. His return to the highest level culminated in victory at the 2024 Tata Steel Masters, where he beat Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Gukesh in tiebreaks. A runner-up finish in the 2025 World Cup earned his first Candidates appearance. He finished fourth in the 2026 Candidates Tournament.