Alireza Firouzja

French Chess Prodigy

Alireza Firouzja is an Iranian-born French chess Grandmaster, born on June 18, 2003, in Babol, Iran. He earned the GM title at age 14 and quickly became one of the most exciting talents in modern chess. In 2022, at just 18 years and five months old, he became the youngest player in history to reach a 2800 FIDE rating, breaking Magnus Carlsen's previous record.

Firouzja switched federations from Iran to France in 2019 and has since represented France in international competition. His tournament resume is stacked: two-time Grand Chess Tour champion (2022, 2024), Sinquefield Cup winner, three-time Bullet Chess Champion, and a consistent performer at the highest level of classical and rapid chess. He reached as high as world No. 2 in the FIDE rankings.

Known for his aggressive, dynamic playing style and remarkable speed in blitz and bullet formats, Firouzja is widely regarded as one of the strongest players of his generation. He streams chess on Twitch alongside his brother Mohammadreza, who also serves as his coach and manager. His Chess.com handle is Firouzja2003 and he plays on Lichess as alireza2003.