Liren Ding

As the first Chinese player to cross 2800, Ding Liren is the highest rated Chinese player ever and only the second player from China (after Wang Yue) to break into the world’s top 10. In 2008, at the age of 16, Liren became the youngest person ever to win the title of Chinese Champion, a title he won twice more in 2011 and 2012.

Liren represented China in four FIDE Olympiads from 2012 – 2018, leading the team to victory in 2018 and winning individual medals on first board and for showing the highest performance in the entire Olympiad. He also won team gold in the 2015 World Team Championship. In 2019 Liren won the Grand Chess Tour final, beating Levon Aronian in the semifinal and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in the final, becoming the 2019 Grand Chess Tour Champion.

Ding Liren is the one of the most solid players, once holding the record for the longest undefeated streak, 100 games with 29 wins and 71 draws. Until That record was broken in October 2019 by Magnus Carlsen, 120 games with 39 wins and 81 draws.

Liren vs. Carlsen

Though they may not always describe themselves as rivals, Ding Liren and Magnus Carlsen have faced off for major titles since they both entered the chess arena. In the 2015 Tata Steel Chess India Rapid & Blitz, Liren finished in a tie for second place just half a point behind Carlsen. Then, in 2019, he won the Sinquefield Cup 2019, beating Carlsen in the playoffs. In both 2018 and 2019. Liren placed 2nd in the World Cup, just behind Carlsen both times.