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Alexei Shirov (born July 4, 1972 in Riga, Latvia), is one of the top chess grandmasters in the world today. In the April 2005 FIDE rating list, he currently number fifteen in the world with an ELO rating of 2705 (as of July 2005). He became the World Champion (under 16) in 1988, the World Vice-Champion (under 20) in 1990, and achieved the title of International Grandmaster in 1992. Shirov is the winner of numerous international tournaments: Biel 1991, Madrid 1997 (shared first place with Veselin Topalov), Ter Apel 1997, Monte Carlo 1998, Merida 2000, two time winner of the Paul Keres Memorial International Chess Tournament in Tallinn, Estonia, with victories in 2004 and 2005 just to name a few. In 1998 he defeated Vladimir Kramnik in a ten-game match that was intended to select a challenger for World Champion Garry Kasparov. Unfortunately, the plans for the Kasparov match were squelched when sufficient financial backing could not be found.
In 1994 Alexey married an Argentine Verónica Alvarez, moved to Tarragona, and became a citizen of Spain. Although he still plays for Spain, he currently resides in Lithuania, married to Lithuanian GM Victoria Cmilyte.
Shirov is noted for his attacking style and for seeking complications, a tendency which has led to comparisons with fellow Latvian and once-world champion, Mikhail Tal.
Shirov has written two books of his best games.
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