Highlights: 2005 U.S. Championship, 2007 North American Open Champion, 2007 National Open Champion

Bio: Hikaru Nakamura is a recordbreaking, blitz champion, medalearning phenomenon. He became the youngest master in American history at the age of 10, then broke Bobby Fischer’s record by becoming the youngest American Grandmaster at 15. In 2004, he advanced into the sweet 16 at the World Championship in Libya. He also won his first U.S. Championship at the age of 16. He’s racked up numerous championships over the past decade, and despite his aggressive, individualistic style, Nakamura has proven to be a great team player: He was a two-time bronze medallist in the 2006 and 2008 Olympiad, playing for the USA team.

Highlights: 2008 U.S. Championship, 2006 U.S. Open Championship, tied for first in the 2001 World Open

Bio: Yury Shulman achieved the Grandmaster title in 1995 and moved to the U.S. four years later to become one of the top American players. Shulman also uses chess for philanthropic causes. He founded the Yury Shulman International Chess School and consistently contributes to not-for-profit entities, schools and camps. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and an MBA. Last year proved to be a great year for Shulman: In addition to winning his first U.S. Championship title, he was also part of the bronze medal Olympiad team in Dresden, Germany.

Highlights: 2006 Florida Champion, 2006 U.S. Chess League MVP, 1995 and 1998 Cuban Champion

Bio: Julio Becerra earned his Grandmaster title in 1997 and decided to relocate to the U.S. two years later after attending the 1999 World Championship in Las Vegas. Until 2005, however, he was unable to travel internationally to play chess because he had no American passport. He since has become a U.S. citizen and has steadily increased his rating. Becerra is first board for the Miami Sharks of the U.S. Chess League and was league MVP for two years in a row.

Highlights: 2002 U.S. Masters winner, 2002 Chicago Open Winner, 1992 World Open Winner, 1992 U.S. Open Winner

Bio: Gregory Kaidanov’s first major win came in a Moscow tournament in 1987, and he was awarded the Grandmaster title a year later. Kaidanov moved to the U.S. in 1991. He’s racked up a number of tournament championships. Kaidanov was a member of the silver Olympiad team in Russia in 1998, won a silver board medal at the Calvia, Spain Olympiad in 2004 and was a member of the bronze medal Olympiad team in 2006. Kaidanov is one of America’s premiere chess coaches. In 2008, he coached the U.S. team to a bronze medal finish at the Women’s Olympiad.

Highlights: 2008 Pan American- Continental Championship, qualifying for the 2009 FIDE World Cup, tied for first in the “A2” section of the Aeroflot Open, 2003 World Open

Bio: Jaan Ehlvest rose to chess fame quickly in the early 1980s, placing second in the 1981 World Junior Championship and first in the 1983 European Junior Championship. He became a Grandmaster in 1987 and two years later finished clear first in the 1989 Reggio Emilia. Ehlvest won the Grand Prix title in 2006, the same year he switched federations from Estonia to America, making him eligible for the U.S. Championship for the first time.

Highlights: 1999 U.S. Championship, 1994 U.S. Championship

Bio: Boris Gulko earned his Grandmaster title in 1976 and won the USSR Chess Championship a year later. His chess career took a backseat to his opposition to Communism. As a “refusenik,” he was arrested, beaten and forbidden to par ticipate in top-level chess competitions. Gulko was allowed to come to the U.S. in 1986. He qualified to play in the 2004 World Chess Championship in Libya but withdrew along with other Jewish players.

Highlights: 2007 U.S. Championship, 2003 U.S. Championship, tied for first 2003 World Open, first in Chicago and North American Opens, 2003

Bio: Alexander Shabalov realized chess would be his profession after winning the Latvian junior championship at the age of 11. He went on to win the Under-16 Championship of the Soviet Union in 1982. The three-time U.S. Champion is known for no-holds barred chess and thriving on wild moves.

Highlights: Tied for first in the 2008 U.S. Open

Bio: Enrico Sevillano won the Asian junior crown in 1986 and took part in the 1992 Manila Olympiad before immigrating to the U.S. He was the first Filipino ever to qualify for the U.S. Championship and has the best track record among Filipino players in America. He’s won a number of California championships and tournaments.

Highlights: National Champion, elementary division, 2005 Super Nationals, tied for first in 2005 and 2006 Pan American Youth Championships

Bio: Ray Robson learned chess at age 3 and has earned seven national scholastic titles since. For winning the Super Nationals, he will receive a full scholarship to the University of Texas at Dallas. Robson finished in the top 10 at the World Youth Championship from 2004 to 2007. He defeated his first Grandmaster in 2006, the same year he earned the USCF National Master title. He’s the youngest IM in the U.S. and is widely considered as America’s brightest hope to become an elite GM since Hikaru Nakamura. Robson studies with No. 3 seed in the tournament, Alexander Onischuk.

Highlights: 2007 U.S. Women’s Chess Champion, 1998 U.S. Women’s Chess Champion, 1998 Pan-American Youth Champion

Bio: Irina Krush became the youngest-ever to win the U.S. Women’s Championship in 1998 with the astounding score of 8.5/9. Three years later, she won the Mayor’s Cup, an international round robin held in New York, despite being the lowest-rated player invited to par ticipate. She’s been a valuable team member at Olympiads and was part of the silver medal team in 2004 and the bronze medal team in 2008. Krush also won the 2007 U.S. Championship and lost the 2008 title in a controversial playoff against Anna Zatonskih.

Highlights: 1994 North American Open

Bio: Michael Brooks has been an International Master since 1989 and has been the Missouri state champion six times, losing only five times since in tie-breaks. In 1982, Brooks tied for first place in the Midwest Masters Tournament in Chicago and tied for second in the event in 1989. In 1994, Brooks won the North American Open in Las Vegas.

Highlights: 2008 U.S. Junior Championship, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 Colorado High School Champion, 2004 U.S. Expert Champion.

Bio: Tyler Hughes won the 2008 U.S. Junior Chess Championship and represented the U.S. at the World Junior Chess Championship in Turkey. Hughes, who is homeschooled, studies under coach GM Petr Kiriakov. He learned chess at 5 and became more interested after reading his first chess book and realizing study would improve his game.