Alireza Firouzja (born 18 June 2003) is an Iranian-French chess grandmaster. He is widely considered the most naturally talented player of the post-Carlsen generation. He became the youngest player ever to reach a 2800 rating (beating Carlsen's record) at age 18. Born in Iran, he defected to France in 2019 due to Iran's ban on playing against Israelis. Firouzja's style is tactical, messy, and resourceful, often swindling opponents in time trouble. However, his dedication has been questioned as he has publicly flirted with quitting chess to pursue a career in fashion design. Despite this, he won the 2024 Sinquefield Cup and remains a top 5 player.