Teimour Radjabov: the boy who beat Kasparov

Few elite debuts have made as much noise as Teimour Radjabov’s. In 2003, at just 15, he beat Garry Kasparov — the best player in the world — and provoked one of the most famous outbursts from the Ogre of Baku. That teenager became one of the pillars of Azerbaijani chess and, sixteen years later, World Cup champion.

Who is Radjabov

He was born on 12 March 1987 in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan and a genuine breeding ground for chess talent. A child prodigy, he rose quickly and, by age 15, was already competing in the world’s strongest tournaments.

The day he angered Kasparov

The moment that launched him to fame came at the 2003 Linares tournament. There, Radjabov defeated Garry Kasparov, the undisputed number 1, with the black pieces. The shock was such that, when the crowd voted that game the most beautiful of the tournament, Kasparov had a widely reported outburst at the ceremony, outraged at having fallen to a teenager.

That win announced to the world the arrival of one of the great talents of his generation.

Soundness as his trademark

Over the years, Radjabov evolved from youthful attack — he excelled with the King’s Indian Defense — toward a solid, pragmatic style. He became one of the hardest players to beat on the circuit, with top-level defensive technique and great positional maturity.

That reliability made him a key piece of the powerful Azerbaijani national team and kept him in the elite for years, reaching his peak ELO (2793) in 2012.

World Cup champion

After a few years of lower profile, Radjabov surprised everyone by winning the 2019 FIDE World Cup, a brutally tough knockout tournament. The win confirmed he remained among the best and earned him qualification for the Candidates Tournament, returning him to the fight for the title. It was the reward for his soundness and perseverance.

His chess DNA

In our chess DNA system, Radjabov represents the solid pragmatist profile: extreme soundness, refined defensive technique, and a consistency that makes him extremely hard to defeat. If your GM twin is Radjabov, your strength lies in soundness and the ability to neutralize any opponent; your virtue is the maturity of someone who knows how to wait for the right moment without overreaching.

Keep exploring

• Garry Kasparov, whom he beat at age 15
• Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, the other great pillar of Azerbaijani chess
• Magnus Carlsen, the great reference point of his generation
• All players