Richard Rapport – The Artist

Richard Rapport (born 1996) is a Hungarian Grandmaster. He achieved the GM title at 13 years and 11 months, making him one of the youngest prodigies in history. He is famous for his refusal to follow "engine" trends, preferring human creativity.

He is a Modern Romantic. He takes massive risks, plays sidelines, and seeks to create chaos on the board. Daniil Dubov famously called him a "rock-and-roll player".

In a surprising move, he served as Ding Liren's second for the 2023 World Championship. His influence was visible in Ding's daring opening choices (like 4.h3!?) that ultimately won him the crown.

Feeling a lack of support in Hungary, he switched to the Romanian federation in 2022 after receiving a sponsorship offer from Superbet. He returned to the Hungarian flag in 2024 to lead their Olympiad team.

He broke Peter Leko's record, becoming a Grandmaster at 13 years, 11 months, and 6 days.

In May 2022, he reached his career-high ranking of World No. 5 with a rating of 2776.

At Tata Steel 2017, he defeated World Champion Magnus Carlsen with the Black pieces, punishing Magnus for over-pressing.

He was the "secret weapon" behind Ding Liren's victory in 2023, helping the Chinese star unbalance the game against Nepomniachtchi.

He won the FIDE Grand Prix leg in Belgrade, which qualified him for the prestigious Candidates Tournament.

He is the strongest player in the world to regularly employ the Nimzo-Larsen Attack (1.b3) in classical chess.

He played in the 2022 Candidates, proving he belongs in the absolute elite, although he finished in the bottom half.

He is one of the few top GMs who plays the Chigorin Defense (1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6), using Knights to create chaos.

He won the 2020 Danzhou tournament undefeated, finishing ahead of Ding Liren and Alexander Grischuk.

He won the European Rapid Championship in 2013, showcasing his incredible speed and intuition.

His wild game against Praggnanandhaa at the UzChess Cup is considered an attacking masterpiece, featuring a piece sacrifice for a mating net.

He is married to Serbian WGM Jovana Vojinović, who often travels with him and supports his career.

Alongside Baadur Jobava, he popularized the 1.d4 Nc6 systems that avoid mainstream theory.

He had the best individual performance on Board 1 at the European Team Championship, scoring a performance rating of 2869.

He has played the romantic King's Gambit in blitz and rapid against top opposition, always seeking the initiative.

Rapport is famous for playing on in equal positions. His "fighting spirit" is among the highest in the top 10.

He defeated the legendary Boris Gelfand at Tata Steel 2014, showing his style could work against classical titans.

While known for attacks, his endgame technique is superb, often winning with Knights against Bishops in closed positions.

He won the Hungarian Chess Championship in 2017.

His 2024 return to the Hungarian federation was celebrated as a homecoming for the nation's biggest chess star.