Chess History in a Nutshell 109 – Young Star: Wei Yi
Wei Yi (born June 2, 1999) is a Chinese chess grandmaster. He became a grandmaster at the age of 13 and was the youngest player ever to reach a rating of 2700, accomplishing this feat at just 15. Wei is also a three-time Chinese Chess Champion at this young age, and he claimed the title of Asian Chess Champion in 2018.
His greatest achievement to date is likely his victory at the 2024 Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee. There, he finished tied with two other young chess prodigies—Gukesh D (the future World Champion) and Nodirbek Abdusattorov—but emerged victorious in the tiebreaks.
In addition to many remarkable achievements in his youth—including the U12 World Championship title in 2010—Wei won the Challenger's group at the 2015 Tata Steel tournament with a Tournament Performance Rating of 2804, firmly establishing himself as a rising star. That same year, he was part of the Chinese team that won the World Team Championship, earning a gold medal on board 4 with an impressive score of 7 out of 9.
2015 proved to be a breakthrough year in multiple ways. Wei also captured the Chinese national title for the first time by defeating top players such as Ding Liren, Wang Hao, and Yu Yangyi in head-to-head matchups.
It’s clear that Black is in trouble in the position shown—but it’s less obvious that White can immediately force material gains. Can you find the miraculous move that Wei Yi discovered in this position?
This week’s show (for Premium Members only)
| Advertising |
