The Inspiring Story of GM Volodar Murzin
From Vision to Victory - World Rapid 2025
On the night of December 28th, the chess world watched in disbelief as an unknown name climbed the leaderboard at the World Rapid Championship. Round after round, the underdog defied expectations, and by the end of the final game, he stood alone at the top—claiming the coveted World Rapid title.
GM Volodor Murzin, an 18-year-old Russian chess prodigy, had stunned the world by claiming the title of World Rapid Champion in New York, 2024. This post takes you through his remarkable journey, from his humble beginnings to the world rapid crown.
Childhood
In a candid interview with Championat, Murzin opened up about the emotional hardships he faced growing up. He revealed that his father subjected both him and his sisters to physical and emotional abuse, and even imposed travel restrictions, preventing him from participating in international chess tournaments
"Abuse was the norm" - Volodar Murzin
Even in the dark cave of his childhood, there was a shimmer of light in the form of his maternal grandfather, who taught him to play chess. Soon enough, Murzin started to defeating his grandfather and grew stronger in the game. He began participating in tournaments and dominating them, most notably winning the Juniors Russian Championships in 2020
Early Signs
In 2019, a ChessBase India video went viral featuring a 13 year old Murzin trying to defend against GM Milos Perunovic. But in an exhilirating time scramble, he failed to hold the draw. Soon, he broke down, into tears. The comments section empathised with him and said that he showed the potential for a bright future. Little did they know, they would be proved right in less than half a decade.
World Rapid
Murzin started the world rapid as the 59th seed but was already making strides in the opening rounds.
Round 2 vs Fabiano Caruana
He played a fabulous game against Caruana. Keeping the pressure up on the king’s side and pushing forward with low time on the clock.
He went 4/4 in the first four rounds, defeating big names like Caruana, Bortnyk and Lenderman.
Round 7 vs Arjun Erigaisi
This was another clinical performance from Murzin, the same we had seen for the entire tournament thus far. He had a commanding advantage with two passed pawns on the edge of the board. But somewhere along the way, he missed the accurate way to convert and liquidated into a drawn endgame.
Round 12 vs Praggnanadha Rameshbabu
This was a crazy game where this madman, when under pressure in a losing situation, walked his king all the way to f1 and won the game in style.
He finished the tournament undefeated, undisputed world champion with 10 points, including 7 wins out of 13 rounds.
This was the fairytale comeback, the legendary story for the ages. As Murzin took the top podium on the stage, the crowd looked on with adoration for the exploits of this young man. He had made history, joining an elite list of world champions.
World Blitz
Murzin had another dream performance in the blitz section, finishing in the ten-way tie for first place. With tiebreaks on his side, he was able to join the top 8 knockout as well. He fought hard but ultimately lost to Ian Nepomniachtchi in the quarter finals.
Conclusion
Volodar Murzin’s victory at the World Rapid Championship marks the emergence of a new force in elite chess. His journey reflects both resilience and skill, on and off the board. As the 59th seed who stunned the chess world, this is likely just the start of an exciting career ahead.
Additional Resources
https://www.chess.com/news/view/volodar-murzin-on-his-fathers-abuse
https://observatorial.com/news/sports/1167779/from-his-fathers-violence-and-beatings-to-the-world-title-the-story-of-volodar-murzin/
https://chess-results.com/tnr1074690.aspx?lan=1&art=1&rd=13&fed=FID&turdet=YES&flag=30
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed leave a like!
