Alexei Shirov – "Fire on Board"

Alexei Shirov (born 1972) is a Latvian-born Grandmaster (who also represented Spain). He was one of the absolute top players in the world during the 1990s and 2000s, peaking at World #4.

Pure, unadulterated aggression. Unlike Tal, who sacrificed on intuition, Shirov calculates concrete lines in positions that look completely chaotic. His style is often called "Fire on Board."

In 1998, he defeated Vladimir Kramnik in a Candidates Match to challenge Garry Kasparov. However, sponsors failed to fund the match, and Kasparov eventually played Kramnik instead in 2000. Shirov was denied his rightful shot.

Shirov and Veselin Topalov played many games against each other, and almost all of them were violent tactical brawls. Their games are a goldmine for attacking players.

Against Topalov (Linares 1998), Shirov played 47...Bh3!!, sacrificing a Bishop in a pure pawn endgame just to gain a single tempo. It is considered the most beautiful endgame move ever played.

He shocked the world by beating Vladimir Kramnik 5.5–3.5 in the Candidates Match, proving his tactical style could dismantle the "Berlin Wall" defender.

His two volumes of best games are best-sellers. They offer a glimpse into the mind of a genius who sees geometry where others see chaos.

Like Mikhail Tal, Shirov was born in Riga, Latvia. He studied with Tal in his youth and adopted his fearless approach to the game.

He reached the final of the FIDE World Cup in 2007, losing to Gata Kamsky, but proving he was still an elite force.

He maintained a 2700+ rating for over 20 years, a mark of incredible consistency for such a risky player.

He is a leading expert on the Sveshnikov Variation, using it to create imbalances with Black against 1.e4.

He was the world's leading practitioner of the ultra-sharp Botvinnik System in the Semi-Slav, analyzing it to depths of 30+ moves.

He moved to Spain and represented them for many years, leading the Spanish team to success before returning to Latvia.

He won the M-Tel Masters in Sofia undefeated, finishing ahead of Magnus Carlsen and Topalov.

He had a fierce rivalry with Vishy Anand. While Anand often won, their games were always high-speed tactical battles.

Like Petrosian, Shirov loves exchange sacrifices, but for a different reason: to destroy the opponent's pawn center or King safety.

Shirov famously criticized players who agreed to short draws, believing professional chess players had a duty to the public to fight.

Against the Philidor/Pirc, he often played an immediate 5.g4, showing his disregard for classical safety.

He qualified for the 2007 Candidates Tournament, remaining a threat to the World Title for nearly 15 years.

While known for attacks, his endgame play is unique because he searches for tactical solutions rather than following technical rules.

A hallmark of his style is pushing the h-pawn early in the game to pry open the enemy King's position.

Despite his violent style on the board, he is known as a soft-spoken and polite intellectual off the board.

Kasparov admitted that Shirov calculated better than almost anyone else, finding resources that seemed impossible.

He kept the flame of Romantic Chess alive in the computer era, proving that human imagination can still triumph over dry technique.