Wei Yi. Photo: FIDE
Wei Yi was born in Yancheng, China in 1999 and was one of the greatest child and teen chess prodigies.
He earned his Grandmaster title at the age of 13 years, 8 months, and 23 days in 2013. At the time, this made him the fourth-youngest GM in history.
Wei won the World Under-12 Championship in 2010 and became the youngest winner of the Chinese Championship in 2015, a title he defended in 2016 and 2017. He took the 2018 Asian Continental Championship as well.
In March 2015, at the age of 15, Wei Yi became the youngest 2700 player ever, a record previously held by Magnus Carlsen, and one Wei still holds.
In August 2017, at 18 years old, Wei Yi reached his peak rating of 2753 and peak ranking of World #14. Today he sits at 2729 and World #21 … he’s not 23 years old yet, but such a distant peak for a young player is concerning.
I’m rooting for Wei to hit new heights in the coming years.
In this game from the 2016 Chinese League, how did Wei Yi conclude a nice game against International Master Wang Chen?
Black to play.
21… ?
Direct beats Indirect
David Thompson holds a Master’s degree in Mathematics and has over 12 years of experience in competitive chess. As the lead writer for Chess-Essentials.com, David is dedicated to sharing his extensive knowledge of chess strategies and tactics. His clear and insightful articles are designed to help players of all levels enhance their skills and understanding of the game.
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