Alexander Khalifman
The chess world champion who emerged from the chaotic 1999 knockout tournament, a theoretician whose opening systems are studied by grandmasters worldwide.
Born 1966 (age 60)·Russian chess grandmaster·Birthday: January 18·Generation X
Biography
Alexander Khalifman's claim to fame is a unique one: he is the FIDE World Champion who never fit the mold of a classical titleholder. A formidable grandmaster from Leningrad, he was known more as a profound opening theorist and a pillar of the Russian chess establishment than a global superstar. His moment came in the volatile, knockout-format FIDE championship of 1999. In a field of 100 players, Khalifman executed a stunning run, combining solid preparation with steely nerves to defeat a series of elite opponents. His victory, while sometimes dismissed due to the absence of other top players like Garry Kasparov, was legitimate and hard-earned. Beyond the crown, his lasting impact is in chess education. He founded the Grandmaster Chess School in Saint Petersburg, nurturing young Russian talent, and his contributions to opening theory, particularly in the King's Indian and Sicilian defenses, remain staples in professional play.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Alexander was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alexander Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Alexander's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the FIDE World Chess Championship in 1999 by triumphing in a 100-player knockout tournament in Las Vegas.
- Founded the Grandmaster Chess School in Saint Petersburg, coaching a new generation of Russian players.
- Authored influential books on opening theory, particularly concerning the King's Indian Defense.
- Won the Russian Chess Championship twice, in 1996 and 2007.
Did You Know?
He holds a degree in mathematics from Saint Petersburg State University.
He was the head coach of the Russian women's chess team that won gold at the 2010 Chess Olympiad.
His 1999 world championship victory earned him a $660,000 prize, a huge sum for chess at the time.
“I am a chess professional, and the title is a professional achievement.”
