GM Ray Robson

Bio: Ray Robson learned chess at age 3 and has earned seven national scholastic titles since. Robson finished in the top 10 at the World Youth Championship from 2004 to 2007 and won Super Nationals in 2005. He defeated his first Grandmaster in 2006, the same year he earned the USCF National Master title.

He’s the youngest GM in the U.S. and is widely considered to be America’s brightest hope to become an elite GM since Hikaru Nakamura. In fact, Ray broke Hikaru's record and currently holds the title as the youngest-ever American Grandmaster, fulfilling the requirements about two weeks prior to his 15th birthday. Robson studies with GM Alexander Onischuk.

Ray's first-ever major open tournament win came in 2008 at the Miami Open. He received his first norm in Tromso, Norway in August of 2009, and he earned his second in Skokie, Illinois that same month. He earned his last GM norm in Montevideo, Uruguay in October 2009.

Ray recently announced he will be attending Webster University in Saint Louis in the fall to join Susan Polgar's SPICE team that is relocating from Lubbock, Texas. He has turned in a number of impressive performances as of late and appears poised to make a statement at this year's championship.