IM Anna Zatonskih

Anna Zatonskih is the reigning U.S. Women's Champion. last year, she won the U.S. Women's Championship with a dominating score of 8.5/9 and took home $15,000. She 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. 

Anna said 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. Coached by her husband, German chess Grandmaster Daniel Fridman, Anna comes into the tournament as a favorite as she seeks to defend her title.