IM Anna Zatonskih

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Title: 
International Master
Rating: 
2487
Federation: 
Hartsdale, NY
Age: 
38
Status: 
Accepted
Chess Highlights: 
Anna Zatonskih is a four-time U.S. Women’s Champion and three-time Ukrainian Women’s Champion, and she placed 3rd in last year’s U.S. Women’s Chess Championship. She also contributed to the success of the U.S. at the 36th, 37th, and 38th Chess Olympiads, where the U.S. placed 2nd, 4th, and 3rd respectively. In 2008 she beat the defending U.S. Women's Champion, Irina Krush, by a single second under time control, a moment that has been widely viewed on the Internet because of Krush's reaction of smacking her king across the room in anger.
Bio: 

Zatonskih was born in Maripol, Ukraine and immigrated to the U.S. in 2004.  In 2009, Zatonskih won the U.S. Women's Championship with a dominating score of 8.5/9, but she ran into stiff competition in 2010 against her longtime nemesis IM Irina Krush. Zatonskih recaptured the title in 2011 with a gutsy and grueling performance. Including the tiebreak and playoff matches, she played 19 games of chess over a two-week period to win the 2011 U.S. Women's title. In 2012, Zatonskih suffered a heartbreaking loss in a playoff match against Krush, who went on to win the event.  


Outside of chess, Anna has a variety of interests from bicycling to ping pong to scuba diving. She even played an underwater match while in scuba gear on a giant board. The game couldn't go longer than 50 minutes, but she played to a draw. Coached by her husband, German Grandmaster Daniel Fridman, Anna comes into the tournament in the hopes of securing her fifth title. She has been playing chess since she was five years old.

Tag: 
2017 U.S. Women's Championship