Russian international chess grandmaster Sanan Sjugirov will represent Hungary in future competitions, Russian state news agency TASS reported last Thursday.

30-year-old Sjugirov is currently ranked 31st in the world with an Elo rating of 2705, and he is the highest-rated chess player to switch national affiliations, TASS noted. Euronews described Sjugirov changing his sport nationality as ‘unprecedented’. He has held an even higher position once this year, ranking 28th with a rating of 2712 in May. As a junior player, he secured world and European championship titles.

On the website of the international federation (FIDE), Sjugirov is listed as Russian in current world rankings, but on his player profile his federation is already featured as Hungary. President of the Hungarian Chess Federation Zoltán Polyánszky,

confirmed on Friday that Sjugirov will compete under the Hungarian flag.

‘As a consequence of the war, the Russian chess federation left the European federation and joined the Asian one. This resulted in many Russian chess players losing the opportunity to participate in European tournaments. Sjugirov submitted his application to the Hungarian federation a month ago, which was approved by the board,’ the president stated. He added that according to the agreement between FIDE and the Russian federation, there is a simplified procedure for Russian chess players to change their national affiliation until 31 August.

‘When and under what conditions Sjugirov will compete in the Hungarian national team is still an open question,’ he emphasised. This is because FIDE will make decisions regarding transferred Russian chess players after the 31 August deadline, which is expected to include details about the required financial arrangements.

Sjugirov’s Victories

Sanan Sjugirov, born on 31 January, 1993, is a distinguished Russian chess grandmaster. He achieved notable victories as the European champion and world champion within his respective age category. Sjugirov participated in the FIDE World Cup during both 2009 and 2015. He clinched outstanding victories in the World Youth Chess Championships in 2003, competing in the U-10 section, and again in 2007, this time in the U-14 section. His prowess extended to the European Youth Chess Championships, where he secured victories in the U-12 division in both 2004 and 2005, as well as in the U-14 division in 2007.

In 2008, Sjugirov secured triumphs in the Russian U-20 Championship and emerged victorious in the First Saturday GM tournament held in Budapest during May. The year 2009 saw him qualify for the Superfinal of the Russian Chess Championship through the Higher League, where he notably stood as the youngest participant. Despite his youth, he contested valiantly.

Sjugirov’s excellent performance continued as he represented team ‘Russia 4’ during the 2010 Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, where he remarkably defeated Magnus Carlsen, currently the number one chess player in the world, among other esteemed opponents. Furthermore, he tied for first place alongside Dmitry Andreikin in the 2010 World Junior Chess Championship, ultimately securing second place based on tiebreak criteria.

In the 2011 European Rapid Chess Championship held in Warsaw, Sjugirov attained the silver medal. In 2012, he emerged victorious in the round-robin tournament ‘Casino de Barcelona’ in Barcelona. Continuing his streak of successes, Sjugirov triumphed in the 29th Cappelle-la-Grande Open in 2013. In 2014, he secured victories in the Lev Polugaevsky Memorial in Samara and the World University Chess Championship in Katowice, both through tiebreak decisions. He showcased his skills in the competitive 2014 Qatar Masters Open, placing fourth behind Yu Yangyi, Anish Giri, and Vladimir Kramnik.

Sjugirov’s achievements carried into 2015, when he won the Abu Dhabi Blitz tournament. Later that year, he earned another victory by triumphing in the 1st European Universities Chess Championship in Yerevan, contributing to his team’s (USMU) gold medal. In the same year, he also took part in the Qatar Masters Open, tying for third place alongside Vladimir Kramnik, Sergey Karjakin, Ni Hua, and Vassily Ivanchuk, ultimately placing fifth based on tiebreak criteria.

In March 2016, Sjugirov achieved a tie for 3rd–10th place in the Aeroflot Open, ultimately attaining fourth place based on tiebreak criteria. The subsequent year, he tied for 1st–2nd place with Daniil Dubov in the Russian Higher League held in Sochi, and came in second based on tiebreak criteria.

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Sources used: Hungarian Conservative/Hungarian Chess Federation/MTI