| Alireza Firouzja Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 10 in |
| Weight | 70 kg |
| Date of Birth | June 18, 2003 |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Alireza Firouzja is a French-Iranian chess player who was ranked number 3 in the FIDE world chess rankings, as of July 2022. His peak world ranking of number 2 was achieved in December 2021, the month where he had reached his peak rating of 2804. As of July 2022, his rating was 2793. He had earned the ‘Grandmaster’ title in 2018, aged just14.
Born Name
Alireza Firouzja
Nick Name
Alireza
Sun Sign
Gemini
Born Place
Babol, Mazandaran, Iran
Residence
France
Nationality
He holds dual nationality.
Occupation
Chess Player
Family
- Father – Hamidreza Firouzja
- Siblings – Mohammadreza Firouzja (Older Brother) (Chess Player)
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 10 in or 178 cm
Weight
70 kg or 154.5 lbs
Race / Ethnicity
White
He is of Iranian descent.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Slender frame
- Bespectacled
- Affable smile
- Short-cropped, side-parted hair
- Often sports a light stubble or a thin beard
Alireza Firouzja Facts
- Alireza began playing chess when he was 8 years old. About 4 years later, in 2015, he won the ‘Gold’ medal in the under-12 section at the Asian Youth Chess Championships.
- In 2016, he won the Iranian Chess Championship, scoring 8/11 points, becoming the then youngest player to ever win the title.
- In July 2019, he became the first Iranian to reach a rating of 2700 or above. The feat made him the youngest player in the world rated 2700 or more. Alireza also became the second youngest player in history to have achieved this feat.
- At the 2019 World Rapid Chess Championship, Alireza clinched the ‘Silver’ medal. The tournament determines the world champion in chess played under rapid time controls (more than 10 minutes but less than 60 minutes for each player in a game that can be played with or without time increments for each move).
- Until November 2019, he had represented his birth country of Iran. He chose to leave the Iranian Chess Federation because its longstanding policy against competing with Israeli players was becoming a hindrance to him in achieving his desired success in chess tournaments.
- This stand from the Iranian Chess Federation is in line with Iranian government policy – Iran does not recognize the state of Israel and actively sanctions players who compete against Israelis. Alireza had forfeited several matches in tournaments due to this rule but had ultimately decided that he could no longer afford to bear this cross at the expense of his chess career.
- From December 2019 to June 2021, he played under the FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs, an international organization based in Switzerland that acts as the governing body of international chess competition) flag. After becoming a French citizen, from July 2021, he started representing France, where he had already been living.
- At the 2021 World Blitz Chess Championship, Alireza secured the ‘Bronze’ medal. The tournament determines the world champion in chess played under blitz time controls (10 minutes or less for each player in a game that can be played with or without time increments for each move).
- Following his performances in the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament (champion) and the European Team Chess Championship (individual ‘Gold’ medal), both held in November 2021, his rating went over 2800 for the first time. He became the youngest player in history to have breached this mark, breaking the previous record held by world champion Magnus Carlsen by more than 5 months.
Featured Image by Alireza Firouzja / Instagram
