Player Profile: David Antón Guijarro

Full Name: David Antón Guijarro

Peak FIDE Rating: 2703 (March 2020)

Active Since: 2005

Federation: Spain

Player Description: David Antón Guijarro, stands out as one of the most exciting and dynamic chess talents to rise from Spain in the 21st century. Born on June 23, 1995, in Murcia, Spain, and raised in Madrid, he picked up chess at the tender age of five under his father’s guidance. By 12, he had already earned the FIDE Master title; by 18, he was a Grandmaster, one of the youngest in Spanish history.

Antón briefly studied mathematics at Complutense University in Madrid, but the chessboard beckoned louder. Under the mentorship of IM David Martínez, he chose to go full-time into professional chess and hasn't looked back ever since. His solid positional foundation and occasional bursts of tactical flair make him dangerous in all formats, from classical to blitz. Known for his calm approach and sharp preparation, he skillfully uses offbeat openings like the Nimzo-Larsen and English to challenge even the strongest opponents

Career Scorecard:

• World Championship Cycle Appearances: NA

• FIDE World Cup: 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023

• National Championships: 8-time Spanish National Champion across various age categories

• Spanish Blitz Champion (2014) - finished ahead of GM Francisco Vallejo Pons

• Spanish Classical Champion (2020)

• Olympiad Medals: Represented Spain at the Chess Olympiads from 2014 and 2022.

Tournaments Won:

• European Individual Championship 2014 – Silver Medalist (secured World Cup qualification)

• Magistral Barcelona 2016 – defeated Jan-Krzysztof Duda on tiebreaks

• Gibraltar Masters 2017 – tied for 1st (beat Topalov and Gelfand; lost blitz playoff to Nakamura)

Memorable Games:

1. vs Veselin Topalov – Gibraltar Masters 2017

A commanding positional masterpiece against a former World Champion, earning him global attention.

3. vs Boris Gelfand – Gibraltar Masters 2017

Outplayed the World Championship finalist with white in a clean, classic attacking game.

5. vs Anton Smirnov – Tata Steel Challengers 2020

A brilliant endgame grind in a must-win game, clinching the tournament victory and earning him a promotion to the elite Masters field.