Mikhail Knyazev
Mikhail Knyazev, commonly known as Mishka Knyazev and also written as Mishka Kniazev, is a Russian professional paintball player who has represented Russian Legion, Houston Heat and Art Chaos Moscow. His achievements include professional World Cup victories with all three organisations and championship titles in American and European competition.[1][2]
Playing career
[edit]Early career and Russian Legion
[edit]In a 2012 interview, Knyazev stated that he began playing paintball in 2000 and identified Chris LaSoya as a player he had admired before becoming a professional.[1]
By the 2002 Campaign Cup, he was playing for Russian Legion. In a retrospective published in 2014, Rusty Glaze recalled competing against Knyazev at that event while playing for Avalanche.[2]
Knyazev subsequently played for Russian Legion during its successful period in American professional X-Ball, including World Cup victories in 2006, 2009 and 2010. His tournament record with the organisation also included the 2009 and 2011 PSP Chicago Open titles.[1][2]
He left Russian Legion ahead of the 2012 season. In a statement published on 6 February 2012, general director Alexander Tarando described Knyazev as an experienced club veteran whom the organisation had hoped to retain to assist its younger players. Tarando confirmed that Knyazev had received an offer from another American team and wished him success following his departure.[3]
Houston Heat
[edit]Knyazev joined the newly established Houston Heat for its inaugural professional season in 2012, alongside fellow Russian players Konstantin Fedorov and Sergey Solnyshkov.[1][4]
Heat won the PSP Phoenix Open, Mid-Atlantic Open and World Cup that year, securing the 2012 PSP professional series championship. Knyazev was also part of the team's winning campaign at the 2013 PSP Chicago Open.[2][4]
Art Chaos Moscow
[edit]Knyazev also competed for Art Chaos Moscow in Europe during this period. His record with Art Chaos included Millennium Series titles in 2011 and 2012, overlapping his American competition with Russian Legion and Houston Heat respectively.[2]
Following the 2013 season, Knyazev, Fedorov and Solnyshkov left Houston Heat to join Art Chaos for its 2014 American campaign. The team's announced roster also included Alexander Berdnikov, Vasiliy Panteleev, Axel Gaudin and Clint Moore, with Maxim Preobrazhenskiy as coach.[5]
With Art Chaos, Knyazev won the 2014 PSP West Coast Open and professional World Cup. He also won the one-on-one competition at the German Millennium Series event that year.[2]
Return to Houston Heat
[edit]By August 2015, Knyazev had returned to Houston Heat and was on its playing roster at the NXL Virginia Beach Open.[6]
He was a member of Heat's consecutive NXL World Cup-winning rosters in 2018 and 2019. On both occasions, Heat defeated his former organisation, competing as Moscow Red Legion, in the final: 5 to 4 in 2018 and 7 to 6 in 2019.[7][8]
PBLeagues records continued to list Knyazev with Houston Heat during the 2026 season, including the September Lone Star Open.[9]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- Who is Houston Heat? An Inside Look at the Newest Team to Join the PSP Pro Ranks. Social Paintball, 6 February 2012.
- Who is Mishka Knyazev?. Rusty Glaze, Paintball Win Count, 14 December 2014.
- Exclusive: A Russian Legion Letter to Their Paintball Fans. Statement by Alexander Tarando, published by Social Paintball, 6 February 2012.
- Houston Heat WINS 2012 PSP Series Championship. Paintball Win Count.
- Art Chaos Announces Roster, Signs Axel Gaudin & Clint Moore. Nicole Episcopo, Social Paintball, 15 January 2014.
- Houston Heat: 2015 NXL Virginia Beach Open roster. PBLeagues.
- Houston Heat: 2018 NXL World Cup roster and match results. PBLeagues.
- Houston Heat: 2019 NXL World Cup roster and match results. PBLeagues.
- Houston Heat: team history and player records. PBLeagues, accessed 23 October 2026.