Boris Gelfand: Belarusian-born Israeli Chess Grandmaster and 2012 World Championship Challenger

Boris Abramovich Gelfand (born 24 June 1968 in Minsk) is a Belarusian-born Israeli grandmaster in chess. He established himself among the world’s leading players over several decades of international competition.

Career highlights

Gelfand moved to Israel in 1998 and has since been one of the country’s strongest representatives in international events. Major results in his career include:

• Winner of the World Chess Cup, 2009.
• Victorious in the Candidates cycle that led to the 2012 World Championship match, which he contested later that year.
• Longstanding presence at top-level tournaments and team competitions for Israel.

Renowned for a deep opening repertoire and solid positional play, Gelfand has remained active in top events and continues to contribute to chess as a player and author of analytical work.