a 9-year-old Chess Talent with a California Dream
Since returning to the East Bay, my primary focus has been on fostering chess development in Fremont. However, I remain actively involved in youth chess education at both the national and international levels. Approximately two-thirds of my time is dedicated to working with young players across Northern California, but I frequently collaborate with talented players from other states and countries as well. Regardless of your location or time zone, if you play chess, you are part of the vibrant international chess community. If I can assist your child’s chess journey in any way, I am more than happy to help them achieve their goals.
With that in mind, I am pleased to introduce you to Aleksandr.
Aleksandr Aleksandrov is a remarkably talented nine-year-old chess player originally from Russia. He began playing chess at age six and has already accumulated an impressive record of achievements, including becoming the champion of Pushkin (under 9), winning the Matlakov Cup, earning a prize at the Volga Cup, and being selected for the St. Petersburg Chess Federation’s Talent Academy. His current FIDE rating stands at an impressive 1737, and I am confident it will rise significantly with more tournament experience. Aleksandr has already defeated titled players—including CMs, FMs, IMs—and players rated over 2700.
Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing Aleksandr and was deeply impressed by his self-discipline and purpose-driven attitude. Young players like him are rare, and it is essential for the chess community to support and nurture their talent as much as possible.
Aleksandr, can you tell us how you first became interested in chess and what motivates you to keep playing?
I was six years old. One day I saw my older brother playing chess and asked if I could try too. He said, “You have to think there.” And I already liked thinking, because my dad and I had been doing mathematics and solving problems together since I was three years old.
So I asked my brother to create a Lichess account for me, and I started playing. I was fascinated by the game right away.
What motivates me to keep playing is simply my love for chess.
What has been your most exciting or memorable chess achievement so far?
Probably taking third place in the St. Petersburg Championship. The other children had coaches who prepared them for their games, while I trained on my own without a coach.
I finished third, became a member of the St. Petersburg team, and was selected for the Talent Academy of the St. Petersburg Chess Federation.
How do you prepare for important tournaments, and do you have a favorite opening or style of play?
Before tournaments, I look at my opponents’ games and try to find their weaknesses. Sometimes I try to come up with a special opening idea or an “opening bomb” for a particular opponent.
My favorite opening is one that I invented myself.
My playing style is attacking. I really like Mikhail Tal’s games and his style.
Have you ever thought about living in a different country to pursue your chess dreams? If so, which country interests you the most?
Yes. The United States of America.
What do you like most about your current home in Russia, and what do you think you would enjoy about living in the United States?
I no longer live in Russia. I live in Tbilisi, Georgia.
What I like about the United States is that it is a country of opportunities. I think talent and achievements are valued there, and opportunities are created for talented and intelligent people. For me, the opportunities to develop in chess are especially important.
How do you balance your schoolwork, hobbies, and chess practice? Do you have a daily routine?
I study at a private online school. This gives me more time for the chess I love.
I can plan my own day: do my schoolwork, work with chess books, study new openings, solve puzzles, play chess, play in tournaments, analyze games, and do physical training.
At the same time, I do well at school and receive certificates for excellent academic performance.
Have you ever visited or played in the United States? What do you think about the chess scene there?
No, I have never been to the United States, but I dream of visiting and playing there.
The United States has a very strong chess scene. Some of the strongest chess players in the world play there, and there are many opportunities for development.
If you moved to the United States, what kind of opportunities would you like to have in chess?
I would like to play against strong chess players, compete in strong tournaments, and train with the best coaches.
I believe that you can only grow in chess when you play against opponents who are stronger than you.
How do your parents and family support your chess journey? Are they involved in your training and tournaments?
My whole family fully supports me. My parents pay for books, chess websites, tournaments, and everything I need for my training. But I study chess independently.
My dad is a well-known restorer of historic buildings in St. Petersburg. He is also looking for work opportunities in the United States so that our whole family could move there and I could have better opportunities for my chess career.
What are your future goals in chess? Do you hope to become a grandmaster someday?
My nearest goal is to become the youngest grandmaster. After that, I want to become World Champion.
Besides chess, what other hobbies or interests do you have?
I like playing table tennis, swimming, riding a bicycle, and skiing. I also do physical training.
For me, all of these activities also help with chess. I want to be physically strong and have good endurance so that I can also be stronger in chess.
How do you handle winning and losing in chess? What have you learned from your victories and setbacks?
I try to learn something from every loss and become stronger. I have learned to control my nerves and emotions, analyze my games, find my mistakes, and understand what I need to improve.
For example, in one game I had less than five minutes left, and according to the tournament rules I was allowed to stop writing down the moves. After I lost, I went to the arbiter and asked for my opponent’s scoresheet so that I could write down all the moves and analyze the game afterward.
Of course I am happy when I win, especially when I beat strong players. For example, two days ago I defeated an International Master. I was able to outcalculate him first in the middlegame and then again in the endgame.
This became another victory in my collection of wins against titled players – IMs, FMs, and CMs.
But I understand that every victory is not the final result. I need to keep working even harder and continue becoming better.
If you could choose any city in the United States to live in, which one would it be and why?
I would choose Fremont. It has a strong chess community, strong tournaments, good coaches, and many opportunities for chess development.
What advice would you give to other young children who want to improve their chess skills?
To improve tactics, you need to solve puzzles. To understand strategy better, it is useful to read chess books.
To understand chess better overall, you need to analyze your own games and study the games of the strongest chess players.
Lastly, Aleksandr, if you could share one message with the world about chess or your dreams, what would it be?
Chess is a game for the brain. I want to become the strongest chess player in the world.
In light of Aleksandr’s remarkable talent and unwavering dedication, it is clear that he has a bright future ahead in the world of chess. However, to truly realize his potential, he needs access to the best opportunities, coaching, and competitive environments that the United States, particularly California, can offer. If you are able to help Aleksandr’s family with their move to California, you would be supporting a young prodigy’s dreams and contributing to the development of a future world champion. Every act of kindness and generosity makes a meaningful difference in helping talented children like Aleksandr reach their full potential. I encourage you to consider assisting his family during this pivotal time—your support could be the key to unlocking his limitless possibilities.