Temur Kuybokarov


Temur Kuybokarov is an Uzbekistani-Australian chess player. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 2019. He qualified as a grandmaster at age 18 - the first from Western Australia - and then in 2020 became the first WA player to become Australian chess champion. Born in Tashkent, he represented Uzbekistan until transferring to Australia in 2018.

Chess career

Kuybokarov was taught chess at the age of five by his mother and first coach, Tatyana Igonina.
At the age of 11, Kyubokarov defeated World Champion Viswanathan Anand in a simultaneous exhibition, a feat which received worldwide attention.
Kuybokarov moved with his family to Australia in 2016 and lives in Perth, Western Australia. He transferred his national federation from Uzbekistan to Australia in 2018. He won the 2017 and 2019 Australian Open Championships.
Kuybokarov achieved the norms required for the title of Grandmaster in the following events: Australian Open 2017; Aeroflot Open 2017; and Gold Coast Open 2018. He also scored a fourth norm at the 2018 Abu Dhabi Masters.
Kuybokarov is a chess professional and has won tournaments in Uzbekistan, Australia, China, and Malaysia.
In January 2019 Kuybokarov was named one of Western Australia's 50 Rising Stars.
In December 2019 Kuybokarov won the 2019 Australian Masters Championship in Melbourne with a record-equalling 8.5/9 score.
In January 2020 Kuybokarov won the Australian Chess Championship, the first Western Australian player in the 135-year history of the event to win the title.