Ian is a textbook example of a talent who was cultivated in the Russian chess school. A former Russian junior champion and a current world vice champion under 18, the youngster from Bryansk has been showing consistent progress over the years. He started playing chess at the tender age of 4, and soon thereafter already started attending chess classes.

Gradually rising in the ranks, he went through several coaches, and for the last few years has been in the hands of one of Russia’s most reputable coaches (and trainer of Russia’s national junior team) GM Sergey Janovsky. He has a lot of experience in domestic and world junior events, having played in many of them in several age groups. Ian is an uncompromising competitor who likes to fight in most every game – it is of no surprise that when asked who is favorite player is, he pointed at the late Mikhail Tal. . Nepomniachtchi who is certain to get his GM title in the near future, had a few encouraging results in 2006: tie for second in the Izmailov memorial (7/9), clear second in the World Youth Stars event with a strong 8/11 finish, and qualification to the very prestigious Russian super-final, which just started as these words are written.