Daniil Dmitrievich Dubov, born April 18, 1996, stands as one of Russia's most talented and creatively aggressive chess grandmasters. He achieved the GM title at just 14 years, 11 months, and 14 days old in 2011, establishing himself as a prodigy early in his career.​ Dubov's most prominent achievement came in December 2018 when he won the World Rapid Chess Championship in Saint Petersburg with an undefeated 11/15 score, earning $60,000—the biggest prize of his career at that time. That same year, he was selected as one of Magnus Carlsen's key seconds for the 2018 World Championship match against Fabiano Caruana, where he played a crucial role in the champion's preparation.​ Known for his universal, highly attacking style and creative approach to both classical and rapid chess, Dubov has delivered strong performances across multiple time formats. He won the prestigious 2018 Abu Dhabi Masters with a dominant 7.5/9 score. As of November 2025, he maintains a respectable classical rating of 2674, ranking 45th globally, while his blitz rating of 2795 ranks an impressive 5th worldwide. Recent tournament participation includes the 2025 Aeroflot Open and participation in rapid/blitz events, demonstrating his continued relevance at the highest levels of competitive chess.​