Ignor Kurnosov was a Chess Grandmaster from Russia with over a 2500 Elo rating from FIDE. Tragically he past away at the age of 28.
Last Updated: July 20, 2022
Full Name: Igor Kurnosov
Title: (Former) Grandmaster
Born: May 30, 1985, Chelyabinsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Died: August 8, 2013 (aged 28), Chelyabinsk, Russia
Ratings
World ranking: N/A
Rapid: N/A
Blitz: N/A
Classical: N/A
Profiles
Biography
Kurnasov was born on May 30, 1985, in a small town in Russia called Chelyabinsk. At a young age, he developed a passion for chess and earned victory in several tournaments including the Politiken Cup, the Biel Open, Hastings Masters, the Arctic Chess Challenge, the Nakhchivan Open, and the Abu Dhabi Masters. He had achieved a Peak rating of 2680 in 2010 and hence ranked position 52 by FIDE among chess players globally.
Igor Kurnosov represented Chelyabinsk’s chess school. He was tutored by teacher Alexander Kozyrev in his youth. He earned a reputation for himself in 2001 after qualifying for the Russian Cup final via numerous challenging stages. He was an international grandmaster from 2003 and was the Russian junior winner in the same year. He emerged victorious in various tournaments; in 2002 Serpukhov and Alushta, 2006 in Minsk, 2008 in Hastings and Tromso, 2009 in Bhubaneshwar, 2010 in Khanty-Mansiysk, 2011 in Helsingor, and 2013 in Abu Dhabi and Nakhichevan. Kurnosov advanced to the Russian Cup final in 2006, but was defeated by Konstantin Sakaev Konstantin. in 2010,
he also competed in the Russian tournament final, in 2011, the Russian Grand Prix Final, and in 2012, the World Rapid tournament. He was regarded as one of the most intelligent and imaginative Russian chess players, as well as a fantastic master of Grunfeld Defense. His highest rating was close to 2700.
The Beginning
The Russian chess GM’s first major victory happened in 2004 at Bad Wiessee when he clinched the eighth Open International Bavarian Chess Tournament after defeating a few grandmasters. In 2008, at the Artic chess challenge in Norway, he topped the list. He repeated the feat in the 2008 Hastings Masters Championship and also in the Politiken Cup event in 2011 held in Denmark.
Kurnosov progressed further in tournaments that he competed in the finals of the 2011 Russian Tournament after gaining 5.5 points and tied for the seventh to tenth position.
In that same year, he competed in the Zurich Christmas Open and emerged the victor in a tiebreak above Grachev Boris. The following year, he triumphed in the playoffs staged in Astana which advanced him to the finals of the World Rapid Chess Tournament. Still, in 2012, Kurnosov shared the first to the third spot in the Biel Masters Open with Movsesian Sergei and Edouard Romain claiming victory after count-back.
He competed in the 2013 Nakhchivan Open and triumphed in a tiebreak above two grandmasters, Aleksandr Shimanov and Gadir Guseinov. Immediately after the lapse of two months in that year, he clinched the twentieth edition of the Abu Dhabi Chess Festival defeating Efimenko Zahar, Oleksienko Mikhailo, and Grigoryan Avetik on a tiebreak. FIDE released its 2013 world chess players rating list and Kurnosov claimed the 84th position globally having a rating of 2662.
On the 8th of August 2013, while around his home residence, Kurnosov faced a car hit accident while crossing to the other side of the road and succumbed to death aged 28 years. On that fateful day, Kornasov had just come back from Biel after taking part in the Open Tournament. Many described him as an honest, kind, positive, friendly person; and a chess master who treasured every bit of the chess game.
Kurnosov competed against several notable chess Grandmasters during his career and defeated them. They include; Ernesto Inarkiev, Boris Grachev, Zahar Efimenko, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Pavel Tregubov, Smbat Lputian, Alexey Dreev, Dmitry Andreikin, Krishnan Sasikiran, Vladimir Malakhov, Andrey Volokitin, Pavel Eljanov, Alexander Onischuk, Dmitry Jakovenko, and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.
Kurnosov will remain in the hearts of many for his several excellent matches; below is a summary of the games he played in his chess career and the notable tournaments he participated in. Kurnasov played a total of 906 games between 1998 to 2013; 343 wins, 373 draws, and 190 losses which result in a winning score of 58.44 percent.
Notable tournaments he recently competed in include;
- Hastings – 2009
- Harmonie – 2003
- Russian Team Championship – 2011
- Aeroflot Open – 2009
- European Club Cup – 2012
- Russian Championship Higher League – 2009
- World Junior Championship Boys – 2005
- Russian Championship Higher League – 2012
- European Championship – 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2013
- Bundesliga – 2012
- Moscow Open – 2010
Did you enjoy reading about Igor Kurnosov? If you did, you might also be interested in reading about players like Rey Enigma and Levy Rozman.
Sources
- Crowther, Mark (2004-11-08). “TWIC 522: 8th International Open Bayerische Schach Meisterschaft”. The Week in Chess. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
- GM Igor Kurnosov wins Arctic Chess Challenge. FIDE.
- ChessBase.com – Chess News – ITMA No it is not – it’s Igor Kurnosov
- “Politiken Cup 2011”. Chessdom. 2011-08-08. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- “Ian Nepomniachtchi is Russian Chess Champion”. Chessdom. 2010-12-24.
- Crowther, Mark (2012-01-02). “TWIC 835: 35th Zurich Christmas Open”. The Week in Chess. Retrieved 2016-04-25.
- Doggers, Peter (2012-07-04). “Dreev, Kurnosov and Tkachiev qualify for Rapid World Championship final”. ChessVibes. Retrieved 2016-04-25.
- “Kurnosov wins Nakhchivan Open”. ChessVibes. 2013-05-08. Archived from the original on 8 September 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- “Kurnosov wins 20th Abu Dhabi Chess Festival 2013”. ChessBase. 2013-07-08. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- “Top 100 Players August 2013”. World Chess Federation. Retrieved August 8, 2013.