Vladislav Artemiev
GM
Player Details
Vladislav Artemiev is a Russian grandmaster and one of the strongest speed-chess specialists to break into the elite in the last decade. Born in Omsk in 1998, he became a grandmaster in 2014 and rapidly built a reputation for tactical alertness, fearless counterplay, and exceptional results in rapid and blitz. His major classical breakthrough came in 2019, when he won the Gibraltar Masters and the European Championship in the same year, while also contributing to Russia’s gold-medal performance at the World Team Championship. Artemiev later reached a peak classical rating of 2761 and a peak world ranking of No. 10. Even after falling out of the very top tier in classical chess, he has remained highly dangerous, especially in faster formats, highlighted by his silver-medal run at the 2025 World Rapid Championship in Doha. Artemiev’s place in modern chess comes from his ability to combine elite calculation with practical aggression.
Playing Style
Artemiev’s style is fast, tactical, and intensely practical. He is especially dangerous when the position remains dynamic and both players must solve concrete problems under time pressure. That quality has made him a major force in rapid and blitz, but it is also visible in his classical games, where he often chooses active solutions over passive safety. At his best, he combines resilient defense with sudden counterplay and excellent tactical timing.
Best Games
- 2019vs Yu YangyiGibraltar MastersArtemiev’s last-round win over Yu clinched the tournament outright. It was one of the clearest breakthrough results of his classical career.
- 2020vs Anish GiriSpeed Chess ChampionshipArtemiev beat Giri convincingly and reached the quarterfinals. The match reinforced his growing reputation as one of the world’s most dangerous rapid and blitz players.
- 2025vs Magnus CarlsenFIDE World Rapid ChampionshipArtemiev defeated Carlsen in Round 7, took sole lead on day two, and went on to finish the tournament with silver. It was one of the standout wins of the entire event.
Opening Repertoire
Artemiev’s repertoire is practical, flexible, and designed to keep positions rich. His White games frequently begin with queen’s-pawn and English structures, while his Black repertoire is comfortable in active counterattacking setups rather than purely passive defenses.
- Queen’s Pawn Game1.d4
- English Opening1.c4
- Sicilian Defence1.e4 c5
- Nimzo-Indian / Queen’s Indian families1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6
Career Highlights
- Grandmaster title2014
- Gibraltar Masters winner2019
- European Champion2019
- World Team Championship team gold and individual board gold2019
- World Rapid Championship silver medalist2025
- Peak world rankingNo. 10
- Peak FIDE classical rating2761
Career Highlights
- Grandmaster title2014
- Gibraltar Masters winner2019
- European Champion2019
- World Team Championship team gold and individual board gold2019
- World Rapid Championship silver medalist2025
- Peak world rankingNo. 10
- Peak FIDE classical rating2761