Irina Krush facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Irina Krush
Krush at the 42nd Chess Olympiad, 2016
Full name	Irina Borisivna Krush
Country	United States
Born	(1983-12-24) December 24, 1983 (age 41) Odesa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Title	Grandmaster (2013)
FIDE rating	2429 (August 2025)
Peak rating	2502 (October 2013)

Irina Krush (born December 24, 1983) is a super talented American chess player. She holds the highest title in chess, called Grandmaster (GM). Irina is the only woman to earn the GM title while playing for the United States. She has won the U.S. Women's Chess Championship eight times and the Women's American Cup twice.

Early Life and First Moves

Irina Krush was born in Odesa, which was part of the Soviet Union (now Ukraine). Her family moved to Brooklyn, USA, in 1989. Irina's father, who played chess in college, taught her the game. She won her very first tournament when she was just 6 years old! At age 7, she even represented the U.S. at the World Youth Championships in Poland.

Amazing Chess Achievements

Irina Krush has had a fantastic chess career, winning many important titles and playing in big tournaments.

Becoming a Champion

When she was only 14, Irina won the 1998 U.S. Women's Chess Championship. This made her the youngest U.S. women's champion ever! She went on to win this championship seven more times: in 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2020.

Playing Against a Legend

In 1999, Irina took part in a special chess game called "Kasparov versus the World." Garry Kasparov, a famous chess legend, played against a team of players from all over the world. People online voted on the moves for the "World" team. Irina, along with three other young players, helped guide the World team's choices. At one point, Irina suggested a new and clever move. Kasparov later said that this move made the game very difficult for him!

Grandmaster Title

In 2013, Irina Krush earned the highest title in chess: Grandmaster. She achieved this amazing goal because of her strong results in several big tournaments, including the NYC Mayor's Cup International GM Tournament, the Women's World Team Chess Championship, and the Baku Open.

Recent Successes

In 2022, Irina won the 2022 American Cup in the women's section. She also tied for first place in the 2022 U.S. Women's Chess Championship but lost in a tie-breaking playoff game.

Team Competitions

Irina Krush has often played for the U.S. national team in major chess events.

Chess Olympiads

Since 1998, Irina has been a key player for the U.S. team in the Women's Chess Olympiad. Her team won a silver medal in 2004 and a bronze medal in 2008. In 2022, she was part of the U.S. women's team that finished fourth at the 44th Chess Olympiad. She also played for the U.S. team in the Women's World Team Chess Championship in 2009 and 2013.

Other Teams

Irina has also played for different chess teams, like the Manhattan Applesauce in the U.S. Chess League. She also played for the New York Knights for many years. In May 2020, she played for the USA team in the FIDE Online Nations Cup.

Writing About Chess

Irina Krush is not just a great player; she also writes about chess! She often writes articles for Chess Life magazine and the uschess.org website. Her article about becoming a Grandmaster in 2013 was even named "Best of US Chess" for that year.

Personal Life

Irina Krush went to Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn. She later studied International Relations at New York University, graduating in 2006.

In March 2016, Irina appeared on the Steve Harvey television show. She was on the show with two actresses who were pretending to be her. The host, Steve Harvey, and Hillary Clinton asked them questions about Irina's life and chess career. Steve Harvey successfully guessed who the real Irina Krush was!

In March 2020, Irina had a moderate illness but recovered well at home. While she was recovering, she played in an online chess tournament called the Isolated Queens Swiss. She did very well, finishing in joint second place.

On January 18, 2023, Irina Krush appeared on a special episode of The Price Is Right. She won one of the games but did not make it to the final round.

See also

In Spanish: Irina Krush para niños