Person of day   -  13 JANUARY 2024

RADOSLAW WOJTASZEK

RADOSLAW WOJTASZEK

Radoslaw Wojtaszek was born on 13th January 1987 in Elblag - a Polish city located next to the Kaliningrad region. The young chess player soon became one of the most promising figures in his country. At the U14s world championship in 1002, Radoslaw came third, behind Viktor Erdos and Hikaru Nakamura and one year later, after an additional match against Krzysztof Jakubowski he became Poland’s U20s champion.

In 2003, Wojtaszek became an international master and soon finished his career in juniors’ chess with a triumph, winning the U18s European championship in 2004. 2005 saw Radoslaw move to the forefront of Polish chess with a victory at the adult national championship and the title of grandmaster. At the Turin Olympiad in 2006, the young chess player made his debut in the national team and immediately demonstrated a wonderful result- 9 points out of 11.

Even then, Radoslaw Wojtaszek had a reputation as a wonderful theoretic of many original ideas. Soon, after the Pole’s victory at the European championship for rapid chess, Vishy Anand himself invited him onto his team- Radoslaw helped the great Indian in matches against Kramnik, Topalov, Gelfand and Carlsen. Wojtaszek’s work with Anand strengthened him considerably and moved him closer to the elite. Radoslaw not only won a second Polish championship, but he also triumphed in several difficult Swiss-style tournaments and his rating surpassed the 2700 mark.

The 2011 and 2013 World Cups were unsuccessful for the leader of the Polish team, but in 2015 he defeated Lalith, Artemiev and Granda Zuniga, only losing to Giri in the fourth round. 2015 was also notable for Wojtaszek for his participation in the Wijk aan Zee super tournament. The final result did not please the newcomer, but Radoslaw Wojtaszek inflicted a sensational defeat on world champion Magnus Carlsen.

As a member of the Novy Bor team, he won the Czech championship several times, he triumphed at the European champions’ cup and he won medals at the EuroLeague. He is the winner and prize-winner of Polish team championships as a member of the Getman team from Katowice.  

In June 2015 Radoslaw married the Russian IM Alina Kashlinskaya.

 “Without doubt, Wojtaszek is a very talented chess player with huge potential, but he remains unable to break through the glass ceiling that separates the second echelon from the elite. If he was invited to several super-tournaments and performed well there, then subsequent progress would certainly be possible.

He has already had a rating of 2730+, but he has not yet been invited there. But he must attain playing experience against leading chess players. At the 2012 Olympiad, he calmly defeated Radzhabov and Nakamura in a one-sided manner, so he has colossal potential, which he has not had the chance to realise!” (M. Krasenkow).