Alireza Firouzja has already shown what he can do in rapid chess at the World Cup. The just 16-year-old Iranian already won against former world champion Sergei Karjakin on the first two days and won a draw against top players like Anish Giri and Levon Aronian.
Firouzja's age is one reason why the focus is on the teenager. But in addition, his resistance to his home country made headlines. Firouzja competes at the World Cup under the neutral flag of the chess association Fide, no longer for Iran. A sports political signal that causes a sensation. The backgrounds.
Who is Alireza Firouzja?
One of the greatest chess talents worldwide. At just 14 years old he became a grand master, at 16 he was the second youngest player in history to reach the 2700 Elo point mark in the world rankings. In this area are the best around 40 players in the world. Firouzja has been compared in the past by the expert site "chessbase" with the legendary Mikhail Tal, the magician of Riga, and acted as the upcoming world champion.
Why doesn't Firouzja play for Iran at the World Cup?
There is obviously a concrete trigger for this. Before Christmas, Parham Maghsoodloo and Amin Tabatabaei, one of Iran's up-and-coming players behind Firouzja, played in a blitz chess tournament in Spain. There they met the Israeli Ido Gorshtein - and played against him. This is actually unthinkable in the face of the conflict between Iran and Israel, because Iran has forbidden its athletes to compete against Israelis for decades. Because Iran does not recognize Israel as a state.
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The games caused a sensation afterwards. Should Iran have loosened the ban? No. The two players had to justify themselves and said they did not know that their opponent was from Israel. It is quite possible. In fast and blitz chess tournaments, the pairings are drawn so quickly that there is often no time to deal with his opponent. Irrespective of whether the player intended or not, Iran subsequently punished all its chess players with a World Cup ban.
Firouzja obviously did not want to put up with this. Shortly afterwards, the Iranian flag disappeared from Firouzja's online profile on the World Association's website. There and in the World Cup statistics it is now carried under the flag of the Fide.
How does Firouzja express itself?
A player's opinion is not yet known. He had never been known for resistance to the regime in Tehran. Only last April at the tournament in Baden-Baden, he did not play against Israeli Or Bronstein.
How does the chess world react to Firouzja's action?
"This is the best for his future," said top Iranian player Sarasadat Khademalsharieh. Iran's association does not support Firouzja and now also hinders him. "I hope something changes in Iran. I don't want other players to do that too." Khademalsharieh is allowed to participate in the World Cup for Iran because there are no Israeli players.
Iran's Sara Khadem gives her views on Alireza Firouzja's switch to the #FIDE flag. pic.twitter.com/Poo8n3RcaR
- Nigel Short (@nigelshortchess) December 26, 2019Nigel Short, Vice President of Fide, wrote on Twitter: "The current position of the Iranian Chess Federation is unsustainable." The Iranian association, on the other hand, said it had protested Firouzja's participation. He does not find it acceptable that the 16-year-old competes under a neutral flag.
What's next for Firouzja?
Since he has not yet expressed himself, this is still unclear. However, Mehrdad Pahlevanzadeh, president of the Iranian Chess Federation, told the Iranian news agency Tasnim that Firouzja had decided: "He told us that he wanted to change his nationality." The teenager has been living with his father in France for some time. "Maybe he wants to play under the French or US flag," said Pahlavanzadeh. One thing is certain: Firouzja's career could be better promoted in both countries.
The decision will probably not be made until next year. First of all, Firouzja finishes the World Cup in rapid chess and flash chess in Moscow. With six out of ten possible points, he was 36th in rapid chess before the final five rounds on Saturday. From Sunday he will also play in the two-day World Cup in blitz chess.
Have you had problems with Iran in other sports?
Yes, two examples: Iran is said to have forced its judo star Saeid Mollaei to lose in the semi-finals at the 2019 World Judo Championships in order not to have to compete against Israeli Sagi Muki in the final. Iran was blocked by the World Judo Association. In 2017, two key players from the Iranian national soccer team were excluded from the team for playing with their club against an Israeli team.