Alexander Khalifman
Chess Player
Russian chess Grandmaster who was the World Chess Champion in 1999.
His father taught him to play chess when he was six years old.
He runs a chess academy in St. Petersburg, Russia called "The Grandmaster Chess School" where he trains players worldwide following the motto: "chess = intellect + character".
He comes from a Jewish family and was raised in the Soviet Union.
He has played against fellow russian Vladimir Kramnik.