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U.S. CHESS CHAMPS

HOME OF U.S. CHAMPIONSHIP CHESS & THE COUNTRY’S TOP PLAYERS

Gata Kamsky

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Title:
  • Grandmaster
Rating:
  • 2748
Federation:
  • Brooklyn, NY
Age:
  • 40
Bio:
  •   Grandmaster Gata Kamsky is the two-time defending U.S. Champion, a title he has earned five times over an illustrious career – including four of the last five years. Born in Siberia, Russia, Kamsky learned chess at the age of seven, won the country’s U15 Championship at the age of nine, then became back-to-back Junior Champion of the Soviet Union at 13. Kamsky began his dominance of American chess shortly after emigrating to the U.S. in 1989 and spent nearly 20 years as the highest-rated American – losing that title to Nakamura in 2009. In 1990 he earned his GM, and soon after became the youngest player ever rated in the World’s top-ten. Kamsky won his first U.S. Championships in 1991, and the following year helped the USCF secure its first-ever gold medal in the World Team Chess Olympiad. Kamsky also became the youngest-ever to challenge for the FIDE world title and the first American since Bobby Fischer, as the Candidate for the 1996 World Chess Championship. Afterwards, Kamsky began an eight-year hiatus away from chess to focus on studies, first graduating in pre-med chemistry and then returning to find his law degree. His return to chess in 2004 began an extraordinary second chapter in his playing career. Within three years Kamsky had regained his elite form, qualifying for the 2007 Candidates Tournament and later winning the 2007 Chess World Cup, where he knocked off Magnus Carlsen in the semifinals. In 2010, Kamsky won his second U.S. Championship – 19 years removed from his first title. Since then he’s earn three more.

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Past Events

  • 2025 Spring Chess Classic
  • 2025 American Cup
  • 2025 Champions Showdown: The Kings
  • 2024 U.S. National Championships
  • 2024 Spring Chess Classic
  • 2024 Cairns Cup
  • 2024 Summer Chess Classic
  • 2024 American Cup
  • Today in Chess: 2024 FIDE Candidates
  • 2023 American Cup
  • 2023 Cairns Cup
  • 2023 Saint Louis Super Swiss
  • 2023 Spring Chess Classic
  • 2023 Summer Chess Classic
  • 2023 U.S. Championships
  • 2023 U.S. National Championships
  • 2023 Winter Classic
  • 2022 U.S. Championships
  • 2022 Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX
  • 2022 Fall Chess Classic
  • 2022 U.S. Senior Championship
  • 2022 U.S. Junior Championship
  • 2022 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship
  • Today in Chess: 2022 FIDE Candidates
  • 2022 Summer Chess Classic
  • 2022 Saint Louis Norm Congress
  • The American Cup
  • 2022 Spring Chess Classic
  • 2021 U.S. Championships
  • 2021 U.S. Senior Championship
  • 2021 U.S. Junior Championships
  • Today in Chess: 2020 FIDE Candidates
  • 2020 U.S. Championships
  • 2020 Champion Showdown: Chess 9LX
  • 2020 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz
  • 2020 Clutch Chess: International
  • 2020 Clutch Chess: USA
  • 2020 Cairns Cup
  • 2019 Saint Louis Invitational
  • 2019 Winter Chess Classic
  • 2019 Midwest Collegiate
  • 2019 Fall Chess Classic
  • 2019 Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX
  • 2019 U.S. Senior Championship
  • 2019 U.S. Junior Championship
  • 2019 U.S. Girls Junior Championship
  • 2019 Summer Chess Classic
  • 2019 Saint Louis Norm Congress
  • 2019 U.S. Championships
  • 2019 US Collegiate Rapid & Blitz
  • 2019 Spring Chess Classic
  • 2019 Champions Showdown: The Kings
  • 2019 Cairns Cup
  • 2018 TiC: World Championship
  • 2018 Saint Louis Invitational
  • 2018 Winter Classic
  • 2018 Fall Chess Classic
  • 2018 Champions Showdown
  • 2018 U.S. Junior Championships
  • 2018 Summer Chess Classic
  • 2018 U.S. Championships
  • 2018 Today in Chess: Candidates
  • 2018 Spring Chess Classic
  • 2018 Saint Louis Norm Congress
  • 2017 Winter Chess Classic
  • 2017 Saint Louis Winter Invitational
  • 2017 Saint Louis Invitational
  • 2017 Champions Showdown
  • 2017 Fall Chess Classic
  • 2017 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz
  • 2017 Sinquefield Cup
  • 2017 Match of the Millennials
  • 2017 U.S. Junior Championship
  • 2017 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship
  • 2017 Your Next Move
  • 2017 Paris GCT
  • 2017 Spring Chess Classic
  • 2017 U.S. Championship
  • 2017 U.S. Women's Championship
  • 2016 Saint Louis Autumn Invitational
  • 2016 Champions Showdown
  • 2016 Sinquefield Cup
  • 2016 U.S. Junior Closed
  • 2016 Saint Louis Invitational
  • 2016 U.S. Championships
  • 2016 U.S. Women's Championship
  • 2015 Showdown in Saint Louis
  • 2015 U.S. Championships
  • 2015 U.S. Junior Closed Championship
  • Kasparov vs. Short
  • 2014 Sinquefield Cup
  • 2013 Sinquefield Cup
  • 2013 U.S. Championships
  • 2013 U.S. Junior Closed Championship

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