Carissa Yip

At just 15 years of age, Carissa Yip has quickly become one of the top female players in America. In fact, she is the youngest player in either field this year. Known for her creativity over the board, Yip has been on a record-shattering pace ever since she learned how to play the game from her father at age 6. Three years later, at age 9, she became the youngest ever to reach the title of Expert. Two years later, she broke the record for youngest female to achieve the title of National Master at the age of 11 years, 5 months, and 18 days. Along the way to Master, she set the record for youngest female player to beat a Grandmaster for her win against GM Alexander Ivanov in the New England Open a few days before her 11th birthday. Last year, she took clear first at the Junior Girls Championship with a score of seven out of nine.