 Kurnosov took clear first place at the Arctic Chess Challenge in Tromsø, Norway in 2008,  2008/9 Hastings Masters tournament and 2011 Politiken Cup in Helsingør, Denmark.In 2010 he played in the Russian Championship Superfinal, where he scored 5½/11 for a shared 7th–10th place.In December 2011, Kurnosov won the Zurich Christmas Open by tiebreak over Boris Grachev.