Anna is described in a U.S. Chess Federation biography as an intense competitor who has trouble sleeping at night during tournaments because she ponders the next day’s games. That was a fact when it was written four years ago, but Anna says it’s no longer true. She now has a 2-year-old daughter, Sofia, and motherhood has given her a completely different view of chess. She’s still highly competitive, but it’s nothing compared to trials and tribulations of raising a child. “I want to win, I want to achieve,” she says. “Let’s say I’m not so crazy about it now.” Nonetheless, coached by her husband, German chess grandmaster Daniel Fridman, Anna comes into the tournament as a favorite.

Anna was one of only two women rated high enough to play in the U.S. Chess Championship back in May, but she says she actually feels more pressure for the Women’s Championship. She is determined to defend her 2008 championship title. Anna says her chess highlights include the 2004 silver medal and the 2008 bronze she helped the U.S. team win at the Chess Olympics.

Outside of the 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.