Irina Krush
Encyclopedia
Irina Krush is an American chess
player who won the U.S. Women's Chess Championship
in 1998, 2007, and 2010. Born in Odessa
, USSR
(now Ukraine
), she is widely known for her series of chess training videos, the "Krushing Attacks" series.
Krush learned to play chess at age five, emigrating with her parents to Brooklyn
that same year (1989). Krush attended Edward R. Murrow High School
in Brooklyn, which is considered by many to be one of the top high school chess teams in the USA.
At age 14 Krush won the 1998 US Women's Chess Championship to become the youngest U.S. Women's Champion ever. She holds the title of International Master (IM), a Woman Grandmaster (WGM), and has one of three tournament results (norms) necessary to qualify for the International Grandmaster
(GM) title. On the September 2011 FIDE rating list for women, Krush has a FIDE rating
of 2472, 27th best among active female players.
Krush gained a measure of fame both inside and outside chess circles during the well-publicized "Kasparov versus the World
" chess competition in 1999. Garry Kasparov
played the white pieces and the Internet public, via a Microsoft
host website, voted on moves for the black pieces, guided by the recommendations of Krush and three of her contemporaries, Étienne Bacrot
, Elisabeth Pähtz
and Florin Felecan
. On the tenth move, Krush suggested a novelty, for which the World Team voted. Kasparov said later that he lost control of the game at that point, and wasn't sure whether he was winning or losing.
Krush currently plays for the New York Knights in the U.S. Chess League, and both she and her husband Canadian Grandmaster Pascal Charbonneau
have played in the United Kingdom league for Guildford-ADC. In 2006 they were students in Paris. She played on the U.S. Women's team in the 38th Chess Olympiad
.
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
player who won the U.S. Women's Chess Championship
U.S. Women's Chess Championship
The U.S. Women's Chess Championship tournament is to determine the woman chess champion of the United States.-List of U.S. Women's Chess Champions:*1937 Adele Rivero*1938 Mona May Karff*1940 Adele Rivero*1941 Mona May Karff*1942 Mona May Karff...
in 1998, 2007, and 2010. Born in Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, USSR
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(now Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
), she is widely known for her series of chess training videos, the "Krushing Attacks" series.
Krush learned to play chess at age five, emigrating with her parents to Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
that same year (1989). Krush attended Edward R. Murrow High School
Edward R. Murrow High School
Edward R. Murrow High School, is located in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, New York City, New York and is part of the New York City Department of Education....
in Brooklyn, which is considered by many to be one of the top high school chess teams in the USA.
At age 14 Krush won the 1998 US Women's Chess Championship to become the youngest U.S. Women's Champion ever. She holds the title of International Master (IM), a Woman Grandmaster (WGM), and has one of three tournament results (norms) necessary to qualify for the International Grandmaster
International Grandmaster
The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....
(GM) title. On the September 2011 FIDE rating list for women, Krush has a FIDE rating
Elo rating system
The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in two-player games such as chess. It is named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-born American physics professor....
of 2472, 27th best among active female players.
Krush gained a measure of fame both inside and outside chess circles during the well-publicized "Kasparov versus the World
Kasparov versus The World
Kasparov versus the World was a game of chess played in 1999 over the Internet. Conducting the white pieces, Garry Kasparov faced the rest of the world in consultation, with the World Team moves to be decided by plurality vote. Over 50,000 individuals from more than 75 countries participated in the...
" chess competition in 1999. Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
played the white pieces and the Internet public, via a Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
host website, voted on moves for the black pieces, guided by the recommendations of Krush and three of her contemporaries, Étienne Bacrot
Étienne Bacrot
Étienne Bacrot is a French chess grandmaster and currently ranked number one in France.He started playing at 4; by 10 young Bacrot was already winning junior competitions and in 1996, at 13 years of age, he won against Vasily Smyslov...
, Elisabeth Pähtz
Elisabeth Pähtz
Elisabeth Pähtz is a German chess Woman Grandmaster.She was trained from early childhood by her father Thomas Pähtz, a chess grandmaster himself. At the age of 9 years she won her first German championship in the under-11 age group. In 1999 she became Germany's women's chess champion...
and Florin Felecan
Florin Felecan
Florin Felecan is a chess International Master. Born in Romania, he resided in Evanston, Illinois, having moved there on July 17, 1997, along with his family....
. On the tenth move, Krush suggested a novelty, for which the World Team voted. Kasparov said later that he lost control of the game at that point, and wasn't sure whether he was winning or losing.
Krush currently plays for the New York Knights in the U.S. Chess League, and both she and her husband Canadian Grandmaster Pascal Charbonneau
Pascal Charbonneau
Pascal Charbonneau is a Canadian Grandmaster of chess, a financial analyst, and an avid supporter of the NYC Club, Tenjune...
have played in the United Kingdom league for Guildford-ADC. In 2006 they were students in Paris. She played on the U.S. Women's team in the 38th Chess Olympiad
38th Chess Olympiad
The 38th Chess Olympiad, organized by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between 12–25 November 2008, in Dresden, Germany and was won by Armenia.The 2010 Olympiad is...
.
External links
- Profile from uschessleague.com
- Statistics at ChessWorld.net
- Interview With Irina Krush
- Interview at 2009 US Championship