Eight-year-old Russian chess prodigy Roman Shogjiev secured his second victory at the World Rapid Chess Championship, which is currently underway in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The event gathers a large field of fast-paced games where every move can decide the course of a champion’s journey, and Shogjiev has been drawing attention with a steady rise through the rounds as the tournament progresses.
Shogjiev, playing with the white pieces, outplayed the seasoned Norwegian grandmaster Johan-Sebastian Christiansen, a 25-year-old veteran known for his sharp, aggressive style. The encounter highlighted Shogjiev’s growing composure under time pressure and his ability to exploit small advantages into a clear strategic edge as the game unfolded.
In his most recent round, Shogjiev defeated Uzbekistan’s own grandmaster Jahongir Vakhidov, a matchup that pitted local expectations against international ambition. The clash demonstrated Shogjiev’s evolving understanding of positional play and his willingness to press for initiative even in the face of strong regional rivalry.
A total of 60 Russian players are competing in the World Rapid and Blitz Championship, a sprawling event that carries a prize fund of $1 million and attracts competitors from many nations who chase fast, precise chess at the highest level. Last year, the Norwegian star Magnus Carlsen emerged as the champion in both world rapid and blitz formats, setting a high benchmark for this edition.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has decided that Russian and Belarusian players will no longer compete under their national flags or anthems in 2022, a policy that requires participants to compete under the banners of the Russian Chess Federation (RFC), the Belarusian Chess Federation (BCF), or under the FIDE flag. This change has shaped the atmosphere of many events, influencing team choices and national representation across the calendar.
Previously, the FIDE Council authorized a relocation of the Russian Chess Federation from the European Chess Union to the Asian Chess Federation, a shift that reflected ongoing realignments within the international chess community and the broader regional considerations surrounding competition and governance.
Shogjiev is widely recognized as the winner of the world championship for children under eight years old, a title that signals extraordinary early promise and points to a bright trajectory within the sport’s youth pipeline.
Earlier in his ascent, Shogjiev had already claimed a victory over the 28-year-old Chess Olympiad champion, a result that underscored his ability to compete with players who have significant experience on the world stage and reinforced the narrative of a rising star in the chess world.