Arian González Pérez
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 17, 1988 |
| Chess career | |
| Country | Cuba (until 2021) Spain (since 2021) |
| Title | Grandmaster (2018) |
| FIDE rating | 2406 (December 2025) |
| Peak rating | 2500 (October 2012)[1] |
Arian González Pérez (born 1988) is a Cuban-Spanish chess player. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster (GM) by FIDE in 2018.[2]
Arrest and hunger-strike
González Pérez was born in Santa Clara, Cuba on 17 August 1988.[3] Beside playing chess, he is also a practicing lawyer.[4] He moved to Barcelona, Spain in 2010 and has lived in Spain since. He later moved to Burgos.[4] In 2013, González was expelled from the Cuban chess federation for leaving the country without permission.[5] In 2015, Cuban authorities denied him permission to visit his sick grandmother in Cuba.[5] In 2018, González Pérez was awarded the grandmaster title by FIDE as a "player under FIDE flag", as he did not belong to any national chess federation at the time.[3]
In July 2021, González traveled to Cuba to take care of his sick mother. While there, he took part in the 2021 Cuban protests and was arrested on 12 July in Villa Clara for "public disorder" and "incitement to the masses". On 21 July, after a week's imprisonment, he began a hunger strike aimed at the indifference of the Spanish government. Top Cuban-born grandmasters Lázaro Bruzón and Leinier Domínguez, as well as previous world champion Garry Kasparov, spoke out in support.[6][7] After three days of hunger strike, González was eventually fined and released without charges.[8] He returned to Spain where he continued to play chess.[4]
References
- ^ "Ratings Progress Chart: Gonzalez Perez, Arian". ratings.fide.com. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Gonzalez Perez, Arian". ratings.fide.com. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
- ^ a b title application for grandmaster, from fide.com
- ^ a b c Larrán, Jesús Cabaleiro (7 October 2021). "Ajedrez: Arian González, de la cárcel en Cuba a ganar un torneo en España". Periodistas en Español (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ^ a b 14ymedio (9 April 2015). ""They Have Taken Everything from Me, Even My Family"". 14ymedio (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 September 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Doggers (PeterDoggers), Peter (22 July 2021). "Kasparov, Dominguez Speak Out As Arrested Cuban GM Starts Hunger Strike". Chess.com. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
- ^ "On Hunger Strike, Chess Player Arian Gonzalez, Imprisoned After Cuban Protests". Translating Cuba. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
- ^ "El ajedrecista Arian González sale de la cárcel en Cuba tras pagar una multa". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 28 July 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
External links
- Arian Gonzalez Perez rating card at FIDE
- Arian Gonzalez Perez chess games at 365Chess.com
- Arian Gonzalez Perez player profile and games at Chessgames.com