Alexander Morozevich

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Alexander Morozevich (Russian: Александр Морозе́вич) (born July 18, 1977) is a Russian chess player. In the October 2006 FIDE list, he had an ELO rating of 2747, making him number five in the world.

Morozevich is noted for employing unusual openings. Against the Queen's Gambit, for instance, he has often played the Chigorin Defence (1. d4 d5 2. c4 Nc6), and more recently the Albin Countergambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5); both systems are hardly ever seen at the top level. He is also well known for preferring complicated rather than clear positions.

Among his most notable results are 7.5/10 at the 2000 Chess Olympiad (winning Bronze Medal for board 2 and gaining the highest Elo performance rating at 2803.7) and 7/11 at the 2002 Olympiad (against considerably weaker opposition, for a performance rating of 2663); first place in the combined blindfold and rapid standings at the 2002 Amber tournament with 15/22, joint second with 13.5/22 in the same event in 2003 (including wins in both his games against Vladimir Kramnik), and joint first with Kramnik with 14.5/22 in that event in 2004; first place in Biel three times: with 8/10 in 2003, with 7.5/10 in 2004, and with 7.5/10 again in 2006; and tied for first with Peter Svidler in the 2003 Russian Championship with 7/9 (Svidler took the title with a better tie-break score).

In September 2005, Morozevich played for the World Chess Championship title, see FIDE World Chess Championship 2005 taking fourth place behind Veselin Topalov, Vishwanathan Anand and Peter Svidler.