IM Irina Krush

Bio: Irina Krush looks forward to chess matches, but doesn’t spend much time contemplating her chess success or failures. “I’m more attached to my future accomplishments.” She said she enjoys the challenge of playing grandmasters most. “When you beat a strong GM, that's when you feel like you can play chess.” Krush was the only female player to compete in the 2010 U.S. Championship, and turned in an impressive 12th-place finish, narrowly missing another GM norm.

Her performance at last year's U.S. Women's Championship just a few months later delivered her third title and further cemented her as one the top players in the nation.

While Irina has a degree in international relations from NYU, she is currently concentrating on chess. In 2008 she received a Samford Chess Fellowship, allowing her to pursue chess full time. Eventually, she figures she will make a career out of chess by playing, teaching and writing about it. Becoming a top-flight chess player takes a lot of time.

But Irina is far from one-dimensional. On top of tennis, reading, writing and yoga, Irina has also immersed herself in the hip-hop scene.

Coming into the tourney second by rating, Krush looks to defend her U.S. Women's Championship title against IM Anna Zatonskih and six other strong competitors.