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Gata Kamsky
GataKamsky24.jpg
Kamsky in 2024
Full name Gataulla Rustemovich Kamsky
Country
Born (1974-06-02) June 2, 1974 (age 51)
Novokuznetsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Title Grandmaster (1990)
FIDE rating 2674 (July 2025)
Peak rating 2763 (July 2013)
Peak ranking No. 4 (July 1995)

Gata Kamsky (Tatar: Гата Камский; Russian: Гата Камский; born June 2, 1974) is a super talented chess player. He was born in the Soviet Union and is now an American grandmaster. He has won the U.S. championship five times!

Kamsky became one of the best chess players in the world. He reached the final of the FIDE World Chess Championship 1996 when he was just 22 years old. In 1995, he was ranked fourth in the entire world. After 1997, he took a break from playing professional chess until late 2004.

When he returned, Kamsky won the Chess World Cup 2007. This big win meant he got to play in a special match against Veselin Topalov, but he lost that game. Kamsky also played in the Candidates Tournament in 2011, where he lost to Boris Gelfand.

Gata Kamsky's Early Life and Chess Journey

Gata Kamsky was born in Novokuznetsk, a city in Russia. His family is from the Tatar people. His last name, Kamsky, comes from his grandfather's stage name, Gataullah "Kamsky" Sabirov, who started a Tatar theater.

How Kamsky Started Playing Chess

Gata showed amazing talent from a young age. When he was only 12, he beat a very experienced Grandmaster named Mark Taimanov in a tournament game. In the same year, he earned the title of National Master. He also won the Soviet under-20 championship two years in a row, in 1987 and 1988.

In 1989, Gata moved to the United States with his father, Röstäm. His father, a former boxer, was also his coach and manager. They received help from the American Chess Foundation and financial support from a businessman named James Cayne.

Becoming a Grandmaster and U.S. Champion

In 1989, Gata Kamsky won a tournament in New York. This win gave him the chance to play a two-game match against the legendary Garry Kasparov. Kamsky lost that match 0–2. In 1990, when he was just 16, he played in a big tournament called the Interzonal in Manila. This was an important step towards the World Chess Championship.

In 1990, FIDE (the International Chess Federation) officially gave Kamsky the title of Grandmaster. The next year, in 1991, he won the U.S. Chess Championship, which is a huge achievement! He also did very well in other important chess tournaments, like winning the Las Palmas tournament in 1994.

Challenging for the World Chess Championship (1993–1996)

In 1993, there were two main chess organizations, FIDE and PCA, and both held tournaments to find challengers for the World Championship. Kamsky played in both and qualified for their special "Candidates Tournament" matches. Kamsky and Viswanathan Anand were the strongest players in these tournaments.

Kamsky's Path to the FIDE World Championship Final

In the first round of the 1994–95 FIDE Candidates matches, Kamsky beat Paul van der Sterren. His next match was against Anand in India. After drawing the first two games, Anand won the next two, taking a big lead. But Kamsky fought back, winning enough games to tie the match. He then won the two fast-paced "rapid chess" playoff games to win the match!

In the final round of the FIDE Candidates, Kamsky easily defeated Valery Salov with a score of 5½–1½. This meant he would play for the FIDE World Championship title!

Kamsky's PCA Candidates Matches

In the 1994–95 PCA Candidates matches, Kamsky beat Vladimir Kramnik and then Nigel Short. However, in the final match against Anand, Kamsky lost.

In 1996, Kamsky played a long, 20-game match against Anatoly Karpov for the FIDE World Chess Championship 1996 title. The match was held in Russia. Kamsky played hard but eventually lost to Karpov with a score of 7½–10½.

Taking a Break and Making a Comeback (1996–2004)

After losing the championship match to Karpov, Kamsky decided to stop playing professional chess for a while. He went to college and graduated from Brooklyn College in 1999. Then, he went to law school at Touro Law Center in New York and became a lawyer.

Kamsky played his next rated chess games in 1999. He returned for a FIDE World Championship event in Las Vegas. He played a two-game match against Alexander Khalifman, who ended up winning the whole tournament. Kamsky won the first game but lost the second, and then lost the rapid playoff games.

The Return to Chess (2004 Onward)

Kamsky didn't play much chess in public for eight years, except for that one match in 1999. Then, in March 2004, people started hearing that he might be coming back.

On June 15, 2004, Kamsky played his first public game in a long time at the 106th New York Masters. He played four games in one day and tied for first place. He slowly started playing more regular chess. In the 2005 U.S. Championship, he scored well, showing he was still a strong player. By April 2005, his rating was 2700, making him number 19 in the world.

He continued to play in international tournaments. He finished second at the M-Tel Masters event and helped the U.S. team win a bronze medal at the 2006 Chess Olympiad. In July 2006, he tied for first place at the Philadelphia World Open and won the playoff. By 2007, Kamsky was playing at the same high level he had before his break.

Winning the Chess World Cup and More Challenges

Kamsky played in the FIDE Chess World Cup 2005 and qualified for the Candidates Tournament for the World Chess Championship 2007. He won his first match but lost his second to Boris Gelfand.

In November–December 2007, Kamsky played in the Chess World Cup 2007. He was seeded 11th but surprised everyone by winning his first three rounds. He then defeated strong players like Peter Svidler, former world champion Ruslan Ponomariov, and even the future world number-one Magnus Carlsen to reach the finals. In the final, he beat Alexei Shirov to win the title, which was a huge surprise in the chess world!

Kamsky's victory in the World Cup earned him a match against the world number-one, Veselin Topalov, in 2009. The winner would get to challenge the world champion, Viswanathan Anand, for the World Chess Championship 2010. The match was held in Bulgaria. Kamsky won one game to tie the match, but Topalov won the last three games to win 4½–2½.

Kamsky played for the United States team in the 2008 Chess Olympiad in Germany, where the team won bronze medals. He also played in the Chess World Cup 2009 but was upset in the third round.

Continued Success and U.S. Championship Wins

In January 2010, Kamsky won the 52nd Reggio Emilia chess tournament. In May 2010, he tied for first place at the President's Cup in Baku.

On May 25, 2010, he became the U.S. Champion again after winning a fast playoff game. This was Kamsky's second U.S. Championship, 19 years after his first!

In August 2010, Kamsky won the Open Grenke Rapid World Championship, a rapid chess tournament. He scored an amazing 10 out of 11 points, beating top players like Levon Aronian and Sergey Karjakin. Later that month, he won the Baku Open in Azerbaijan.

From April 13 to April 18, 2011, Kamsky played in the United States Championship again. He was the top player and won the tournament for the second year in a row! This was his third career U.S. Championship.

Playing in the World Championship Candidates Tournament (2011)

Because he was a finalist in the 2010 world championship cycle, Kamsky got to enter the eight-player Candidates Tournament. This tournament decides who will challenge for the World Chess Championship 2012. The tournament started in May 2011 in Russia. Kamsky faced Veselin Topalov in the first round. Kamsky won with a great game, beating Topalov 2½–1½ and moving to the semifinals.

In the semifinals, he played Boris Gelfand in a rematch of their 2007 Candidates tournament game. After four games, the score was tied. They played rapid tiebreaks, and Kamsky took a lead. He only needed a draw in the final rapid game to win, but Gelfand won that game, forcing a blitz playoff. Gelfand won the blitz playoff 2–0, ending Kamsky's run.

In May 2012, Kamsky played in the 2012 U.S. Championship. He played well and qualified for the final round-robin stage. In 2013 and 2014, he won the U.S. Championship again, making it his fifth career title! In 2016, he placed third at the Chigorin Memorial tournament in Saint Petersburg.

What Are Some of Gata Kamsky's Big Wins?

  • Buffalo Open, 1989
  • Tilburg, 1990
  • World Open, 1991
  • U.S. Championship, 1991
  • Buenos Aires, 1993
  • Las Palmas, 1994
  • Dos Hermanas, 1995
  • New York, 2006
  • World Open, 2006
  • Mashantucket, 2007
  • Chess World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk, 2007
  • National Open, Las Vegas, 2008
  • Reggio Emilia, 2010
  • Philadelphia Open, 2010
  • U.S. Championship, 2010
  • Rapid World Championship, Mainz 2010
  • Baku Open, 2010
  • World Open, 2011
  • U.S. Championship, 2011
  • U.S. Championship, 2013
  • Philadelphia Open, 2014
  • U.S. Championship, 2014
  • The 8th New York International, 2015
  • Cappelle la Grande, 2016
  • The 54th Biel Chess Festival Chess Triathlon, 2021

Gata Kamsky's World Championship Matches

  • FIDE WCC Candidates Match 1994, Wijk aan Zee, Kamsky–van der Sterren (4½–2½)
  • FIDE WCC Candidates Match 1994, Sanghi Nagar, Kamsky–Anand (6–4)
  • PCA WCC Candidates Match 1994, New York, Kamsky–Kramnik (4½–1½)
  • PCA WCC Candidates Match 1994, Linares, Kamsky–Short (5½–1½)
  • FIDE WCC Candidates Match 1995, Sanghi Nagar, Kamsky–Salov (5½–1½)
  • PCA WCC Candidates Match 1995, Las Palmas, Kamsky–Anand (4½–6½)
  • FIDE World Chess Championship 1996, Elista, Kamsky–Karpov (7½–10½)
  • FIDE WCC Knockout 1999 Second Round, Las Vegas, Kamsky–Khalifman (1½–2½)
  • WCC Candidates Match 2007 Round 1, Elista, Kamsky–Bacrot (3½–½)
  • WCC Candidates Match 2007 Round 2, Elista, Kamsky–Gelfand (1½–3½)
  • Chess World Cup 2007 Quarterfinals, Khanty–Mansiysk, Kamsky–Ponomariov (1½–0½)
  • Chess World Cup 2007 Semifinals, Khanty–Mansiysk, Kamsky–Carlsen (1½–0½)
  • Chess World Cup 2007 Championship Match, Khanty–Mansiysk, Kamsky–Shirov (2½–1½)
  • WCC Candidates Match 2009, Sofia, Kamsky–Topalov (2½–4½)
  • WCC Candidates Match 2011 Quarterfinals, Kazan, Kamsky–Topalov (2½–1½)
  • WCC Candidates Match 2011 Semifinals, Kazan, Kamsky–Gelfand [2–2 (2–4)]

A Famous Chess Game by Kamsky

This section uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.
Kramnik vs. Kamsky, New York 1994
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
8 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black rook {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 8
7 {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 7
6 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn 6
5 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black bishop {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king 5
4 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} black king 4
3 {{{square}}} white bishop {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white king 3
2 {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white queen {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white pawn 2
1 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black rook {{{square}}} black king 1
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
Final position

Here's a famous game where Kamsky, playing as Black, defeated Vladimir Kramnik during their 1994 Candidates match:

Kramnik vs. Kamsky, World Championship Quarter-Finals Match, New York 1994 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. g3 0-0 5. Bg2 c5 6. 0-0 Nc6 7. d4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Qe7 9. Nc2 White lets Black change his pawn structure and soon gives up a pawn. White hopes his two bishops will help, but they don't. 9... Bxc3 10. bxc3 Rd8 11. Ba3 d6 12. Rb1 Qc7 13. Nd4 Nxd4 14. cxd4 Qxc4 15. Qd2 Qa6 16. Rb3 Rb8 17. e4 Bd7 18. Rf3 White tries to attack on the kingside, but Kamsky's pieces take over the queenside. 18... Ba4! Black ignores a simpler move for a stronger one. 19. Re1 Rbc8 20. Bf1 Bb5 21. Bh3 Qa4 22. d5 Rc2 23. Qe3? exd5 White is in big trouble. If White plays 24.exd5?, then Re8 wins. 24. e5 d4! 25. Qg5 Re2! Black uses White's weak back row. White now gives up material for an attack on g7, but Kamsky has planned everything. 26. exf6 Rxe1+ 27. Bf1 If 27.Kg2?, then Bf1+ 28.Kg1 Bxh3# (checkmate). 27... Rxf1+ 28. Kg2 Rg1+! 29. Kh3 If 29.Kxg1?, then Qd1+ 30.Kg2 Qf1# (checkmate). 29... Bd7+ 30. Kh4 g6 31. Qh6 d3+ 32. Rf4 If 32.Kg5?, then Qg4# (checkmate). 32... Qxf4+! 33. Qxf4 If 33.gxf4 Rg4+ 34.Kh3 Rg5+! 35.Kh4 Rh5+ wins the queen. 33... Rh1! 34. g4 h6! White's attack is over. Black's pawns now join in attacking White's king, threatening ...g5+. 35. Kh3 If 35.Qxh6? then Rxh2+. 35... g5! 36. Qd4 d2! 37. Qxd2 Rg1 38. f3 Bb5! 0–1 After 39...Bf1+, White's queen will be lost.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Gata Kamski para niños

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