Ray Robson
Encyclopedia
Ray Robson is an American chess
player who holds the title of Grandmaster. In October 2009, about two weeks before turning 15, he became the youngest grandmaster-elect in history who plays for the United States (Italian-American Fabiano Caruana
qualified for the title at 14 years and 350 days, but plays for Italy).
Robson's norms were gained at the Arctic Chess Challenge in Norway, at the 23rd North American FIDE Invitational in Chicago, and at the Pan-American Junior Championship in Montevideo, Uruguay. Robson will be playing in the 2010 U.S. Championship (seeded as US Junior Champion).
to Gary Robson, a professor at the college of education (applied linguistics) at St. Petersburg College
, and Yee-chen, a kindergarten teacher at Country Day School. They later moved to Largo, Florida
, where they live today. An only child, he learned chess from his father at age three. He attended public school for kindergarten, then a public school for the gifted in first grade, then from grades 2-5 he was at a private Montessori school
. He started homeschooling
in grade 6, and is now in eighth grade.
Robson has said he wants to become a professional chess player, and his parents hoped for him to gain a chess scholarship to college. In April 2005, at the "Super Nationals" (the world's largest scholastic chess tournament) in Nashville, Tennessee
, he won every match he played and emerged as the national champion in the elementary age (K-6) division. By winning this title, he earned a four-year scholarship covering full tuition and fees, along with a housing stipend, to the University of Texas at Dallas
. The scholarship has a cash value of about $48,000 to non-Texas residents. The only stipulation is that the winner must meet the university's entrance requirements at matriculation
, which for Robson won't be for several years.
from 2004 to 2007, and he tied for first place in the 2005 and 2006 (U12 Boys, Silver on tiebreak) Pan American Youth Chess Championships.
Robson also plays in many of the major open tournaments in the United States. He finished in the top ten both at the 2006 National Chess Congress in Philadelphia and at the 2006 North American Open in Las Vegas
. Robson's performance at the former event qualified him for the 2007 U.S. Chess Championship
, making him the youngest player in the history of the event to participate.
In 2004, at the age of nine, Robson defeated his first National Master in tournament play. In 2005, he defeated his first International Master (IM), and in 2006 he defeated his first Grandmaster (GM). He studied with GM Gregory Kaidanov
for almost two years (2005–07), via mainly the phone and Internet. He is currently studying with GM Alexander Onischuk
.
Robson was awarded the FIDE Master (FM) title in June 2005 after tying for first place at the Pan American Youth Chess Championship in Brazil. He earned the USCF National Master (NM) title in January 2006 by raising his chess rating
above 2200 (the minimum required for the title of National Master). Robson earned the three norms
needed for the IM title in only six weeks: the first at the 6th North American FIDE Invitational on November 3, 2007, in Chicago, Illinois; the second on November 27 at the World Youth Chess Championship
in Antalya, Turkey, and the third and final norm on (December 10) at the University of Texas at Dallas
(UTD) GM Invitational in Dallas, Texas
, making him the youngest IM-elect in the United States, beating the previous record-holder Hikaru Nakamura
by one month.
Robson tied for first place in the 2008 Florida championship. On July 16, 2009, he won the U.S. Junior Chess Championship, becoming one of the youngest champions ever. In August 2009, Robson tied for first at the Arctic Chess Challenge in Tromsø
, Norway, garnering his first GM norm in the process. Later that same month, Robson then went on to earn his second GM norm by winning the 23rd North American FIDE Invitational in Skokie, Illinois
. He earned his third and final GM norm in October 2009 by winning the Pan-American Junior Championship in Montevideo, Uruguay, making him a GM-elect. He was formally awarded the title in January 2010.
Robson played in his first World Cup in November 2009 in Russia. He took part in the Chess World Cup 2011
, but was eliminated in the first round by Étienne Bacrot
.
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 holds the title of Grandmaster. In October 2009, about two weeks before turning 15, he became the youngest grandmaster-elect in history who plays for the United States (Italian-American Fabiano Caruana
Fabiano Caruana
Fabiano Luigi Caruana is Grandmaster and chess prodigy with dual citizenship of Italy and the United States.On 15 July 2007 Caruana became a Grandmaster at the age of 14 years, 11 months, 20 days – the youngest Grandmaster in the history of both Italy and the United States.In the November 2011...
qualified for the title at 14 years and 350 days, but plays for Italy).
Robson's norms were gained at the Arctic Chess Challenge in Norway, at the 23rd North American FIDE Invitational in Chicago, and at the Pan-American Junior Championship in Montevideo, Uruguay. Robson will be playing in the 2010 U.S. Championship (seeded as US Junior Champion).
Early life
Robson was born in GuamGuam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
to Gary Robson, a professor at the college of education (applied linguistics) at St. Petersburg College
St. Petersburg College
St. Petersburg College is a fully accredited post-secondary educational institution located in St. Petersburg, Florida, serving some 65,000 students annually...
, and Yee-chen, a kindergarten teacher at Country Day School. They later moved to Largo, Florida
Largo, Florida
Largo is the third largest city in Pinellas County, Florida, USA and is part of the Tampa Bay Area. Centrally located, it is the crossroads of the county. As of the 2000 census, the City had a total population of 69,371. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was...
, where they live today. An only child, he learned chess from his father at age three. He attended public school for kindergarten, then a public school for the gifted in first grade, then from grades 2-5 he was at a private Montessori school
Montessori method
Montessori education is an educational approach developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori. Montessori education is practiced in an estimated 20,000 schools worldwide, serving children from birth to eighteen years old.-Overview:...
. He started homeschooling
Homeschooling
Homeschooling or homeschool is the education of children at home, typically by parents but sometimes by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school...
in grade 6, and is now in eighth grade.
Robson has said he wants to become a professional chess player, and his parents hoped for him to gain a chess scholarship to college. In April 2005, at the "Super Nationals" (the world's largest scholastic chess tournament) in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, he won every match he played and emerged as the national champion in the elementary age (K-6) division. By winning this title, he earned a four-year scholarship covering full tuition and fees, along with a housing stipend, to the University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas, also referred to as UT Dallas or UTD, is a public research university in the University of Texas System. The main campus is in the heart of the Richardson, Texas, Telecom Corridor, north of downtown Dallas...
. The scholarship has a cash value of about $48,000 to non-Texas residents. The only stipulation is that the winner must meet the university's entrance requirements at matriculation
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
, which for Robson won't be for several years.
Chess career
Robson has won seven national scholastic titles (including regulation events and blitz events). In addition, he has represented the United States in international scholastic events since 2004. Robson finished in the top ten at the World Youth Chess ChampionshipWorld Youth Chess Championship
The World Youth Chess Championship is a chess competition for girls and boys under the age of 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18.The first predecessor of the youth championship was the Cadet Championship. It started off unofficially in 1974 in France for players under 18. The 1975 and 1976 editions were also...
from 2004 to 2007, and he tied for first place in the 2005 and 2006 (U12 Boys, Silver on tiebreak) Pan American Youth Chess Championships.
Robson also plays in many of the major open tournaments in the United States. He finished in the top ten both at the 2006 National Chess Congress in Philadelphia and at the 2006 North American Open in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
. Robson's performance at the former event qualified him for the 2007 U.S. Chess Championship
U.S. Chess Championship
The U.S. Chess Championship is an invitational tournament held to determine the national chess champion of the United States. Since 1936, it has been held under the auspices of the U.S. Chess Federation. Until 1999, the event consisted of a round-robin tournament of varying size...
, making him the youngest player in the history of the event to participate.
In 2004, at the age of nine, Robson defeated his first National Master in tournament play. In 2005, he defeated his first International Master (IM), and in 2006 he defeated his first Grandmaster (GM). He studied with GM Gregory Kaidanov
Gregory Kaidanov
Gregory Kaidanov is a Grandmaster of chess.As of April 2007, his Elo rating was 2587, making him the #9 player in the US and the 179th-highest rated player in the world. His peak rating was 2646 in 2002....
for almost two years (2005–07), via mainly the phone and Internet. He is currently studying with GM Alexander Onischuk
Alexander Onischuk
Alexander Onischuk is an American chess grandmaster. Originally from Ukraine, he immigrated to the US in 2001 and currently lives in Northern Virginia. He was the 2006 U.S. Chess Champion...
.
Robson was awarded the FIDE Master (FM) title in June 2005 after tying for first place at the Pan American Youth Chess Championship in Brazil. He earned the USCF National Master (NM) title in January 2006 by raising his chess 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....
above 2200 (the minimum required for the title of National Master). Robson earned the three norms
Grandmaster norm
A norm in chess is one of the requirements to receive a title such as Grandmaster from FIDE.- Grandmaster norm :In order to qualify for the title of Grandmaster of chess, a title awarded by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, a player must achieve three or more grandmaster norms in events covering a...
needed for the IM title in only six weeks: the first at the 6th North American FIDE Invitational on November 3, 2007, in Chicago, Illinois; the second on November 27 at the World Youth Chess Championship
World Youth Chess Championship
The World Youth Chess Championship is a chess competition for girls and boys under the age of 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18.The first predecessor of the youth championship was the Cadet Championship. It started off unofficially in 1974 in France for players under 18. The 1975 and 1976 editions were also...
in Antalya, Turkey, and the third and final norm on (December 10) at the University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas, also referred to as UT Dallas or UTD, is a public research university in the University of Texas System. The main campus is in the heart of the Richardson, Texas, Telecom Corridor, north of downtown Dallas...
(UTD) GM Invitational in Dallas, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, making him the youngest IM-elect in the United States, beating the previous record-holder Hikaru Nakamura
Hikaru Nakamura
Hikaru Nakamura is an American chess Grandmaster . He has been ranked among the top six players in the world by FIDE....
by one month.
Robson tied for first place in the 2008 Florida championship. On July 16, 2009, he won the U.S. Junior Chess Championship, becoming one of the youngest champions ever. In August 2009, Robson tied for first at the Arctic Chess Challenge in Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
, Norway, garnering his first GM norm in the process. Later that same month, Robson then went on to earn his second GM norm by winning the 23rd North American FIDE Invitational in Skokie, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. He earned his third and final GM norm in October 2009 by winning the Pan-American Junior Championship in Montevideo, Uruguay, making him a GM-elect. He was formally awarded the title in January 2010.
Robson played in his first World Cup in November 2009 in Russia. He took part in the Chess World Cup 2011
Chess World Cup 2011
The Chess World Cup 2011 was a chess 128-player single-elimination tournament, played between 26 August and 21 September 2011, in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia...
, but was eliminated in the first round by 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...
.
Standing on each FIDE list
| Rating list | Rating | Games | Change | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2005 | 2021 | 9 | - | 10, 3 months |
| April 2005 | 2021 | 0 | 0 | 10, 6 months |
| July 2005 | 2021 | 0 | 0 | 10, 9 months |
| October 2005 | 2113 | 21 | +92 | 11, 0 months |
| January 2006 | 2124 | 8 | +11 | 11, 3 months |
| April 2006 | 2135 | 6 | +9 | 11, 6 months |
| July 2006 | 2181 | 10 | +46 | 11, 9 months |
| October 2006 | 2217 | 20 | +36 | 12, 0 months |
| January 2007 | 2249 | 16 | +32 | 12, 3 months |
| April 2007 | 2293 | 14 | +44 | 12, 6 months |
| July 2007 | 2347 | 26 | +54 | 12, 9 months |
| October 2007 | 2368 | 26 | +21 | 13, 0 months |
| January 2008 | 2389 | 27 | +21 | 13, 3 months |
| April 2008 | 2433 | 26 | +44 | 13, 6 months |
| July 2008 | 2441 | 19 | +8 | 13, 9 months |
| October 2008 | 2466 | 8 | +25 | 14, 0 months |
| January 2009 | 2455 | 32 | -11 | 14, 3 months |
| April 2009 | 2465 | 25 | +10 | 14, 6 months |
| July 2009 | 2491 | 28 | +26 | 14, 9 months |
| September 2009 | 2527 | 25 | +36 | 14, 11 months |
| November 2009 | 2567 | 27 | +40 | 15, 1 months |
| January 2010 | 2570 | 15 | +3 | 15, 3 months |
- bold, new peak rating
External links
- USCF MSA - Member Details for Ray S Robson
- "Play Like Ray!" Chess Life Online (USCFUnited States Chess FederationThe United States Chess Federation is a non-profit organization, the governing chess organization within the United States, and one of the federations of the FIDE. The USCF was founded in 1939 from the merger of two regional chess organizations, and grew gradually until 1972, when membership...
). December 10, 2007. - 2006 Spring Scholastic Championships, Part One ChessCafe.com
- Caeer highlights at 2009 US championshop website
- Interview at the 2009 World Cup website