Wei Yi

Wei Yi is a Chinese chess Grandmaster born on June 2, 1999 in Yancheng, Jiangsu. He became a grandmaster at 13 and made history as the youngest player ever to reach a 2700 FIDE rating at just 15 years old — a record that stood as a testament to his extraordinary talent.

A three-time Chinese Chess Champion and 2018 Asian Chess Champion, Wei Yi had his breakthrough international moment at the 2024 Tata Steel Chess Tournament, where he won the prestigious event and climbed to world number 9. He continued his ascent through the 2025 World Cup, where he reached the final before falling to Javokhir Sindarov in tiebreaks — but still earned qualification to the 2026 Candidates Tournament as runner-up.

With a FIDE rating of 2754 and ranked 8th globally, Wei Yi is China's strongest active player and a serious contender in Cyprus. Known for his spectacular tactical ability — his 2015 game against Lazaro Bruzon has been called the Modern Immortal — Wei Yi combines deep calculation with fearless aggression.