Irina Krush

The dominant force in American women's chess for two decades. Eight U.S. Women's Championship titles, a record that may never be broken.

American Queen

Irina Krush was born on December 24, 1983, in Odessa, Ukraine, and moved to the United States at age five. She won the U.S. Women's Championship for the first time at age 14 and has since won it eight times, more than any other player in history. Her positional, well-prepared style has made her a dominant force in American chess for over two decades. She gained fame at age 14 during the 1999 Kasparov vs. The World online match, where she suggested the winning move 10.Qe6 that the world team played. Though she has never reached a Women's World Championship final, her dominance of American women's chess is without parallel.