Sam Shankland
Title:
Grandmaster
Federation:
Orinda, CA
Age:
25
Status:
Invited
Chess Highlights:
Sam placed third at the 2011 U.S. Championship. He won the 2010 U.S Junior Closed Championship, took first place at Biel Masters 2016, and played on the U.S. team which took first place at the 42nd Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2016. GM Shankland is currently rated 2668 FIDE(2662 URS), making him the the seventh highest rated player in the U.S.
Bio:
At the age of eighteen, Sam announced his retirement from the world of professional chess; however, having made a prior commitment to play in the 2010 U.S. Junior Closed Championship, he played and managed to win a difficult tournament. The victory earned him an invitation to play in the 2011 U.S. Championship, which proved to be a difficult offer to refuse.
In 2016, the American GM won the Edmonton International as well as Fargenes International. Sam’s strong, sometimes unpredictable play is sure to keep this year’s field on their toes, and the chess fans on edges of their seats.