Ray Robson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ray Robson |
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Robson in 2010
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| Country | United States |
| Born | October 25, 1994 Guam |
| Title | Grandmaster (2010) |
| FIDE rating | 2673 (August 2025) |
| Peak rating | 2704 (April 2023) |
| Peak ranking | No. 32 (September 2024) |
Ray Robson, born on October 25, 1994, is a super talented American chess player. He holds the highest title in chess, called Grandmaster. He earned this amazing title in 2010. At that time, he was the youngest American ever to become a Grandmaster!
Contents
Ray Robson's Early Life
Where Ray Grew Up
Ray Robson was born in Guam. His father, Gary Robson, was a professor. His mother, Yee-chen, was a kindergarten teacher. His family later moved to Largo, Florida, and then to Clearwater, Florida.
How Ray Started Chess
Ray was an only child. He learned to play chess from his father when he was just three years old. He went to public school for kindergarten and first grade. From second to fifth grade, he attended a private Montessori school. He started homeschooling when he was in sixth grade.
Ray's Dream and Scholarship
As a child, Ray wanted to become a professional chess player. His parents hoped he would get a chess scholarship for college. In April 2005, Ray competed in the Super Nationals. This was the world's largest school chess tournament. He won every game he played. He became the national champion for elementary-aged kids.
Winning this title earned him a special scholarship. It covered his full tuition and fees for four years. It also included money for housing at the University of Texas at Dallas. This scholarship was worth about $48,000. Ray later decided to attend Webster University instead. In August 2012, Ray began studying full-time at Webster University. He joined the SPICE Program, which was started by former Women's World Champion Susan Polgar.
Ray Robson's Chess Career
Early Achievements
Ray Robson has won seven national school chess titles. He has also represented the United States in international school events since 2004. Ray finished in the top ten at the World Youth Chess Championships from 2004 to 2007. He tied for first place in the Under 12 section of the Pan American Youth Chess Festival in 2005 and 2006. He won the silver medal both times.
Playing in Big Tournaments
Ray also plays in many major open tournaments in the United States. He finished in the top ten at the 2006 National Chess Congress. He also placed in the top ten at the 2006 North American Open. His performance at the National Chess Congress qualified him for the 2007 U.S. Chess Championship. This made him the youngest player ever in that event.
Reaching Higher Ranks
In 2004, when he was nine, Ray beat his first National Master. In 2005, he defeated his first International Master (IM). In 2006, he beat his first Grandmaster (GM). He studied with GM Gregory Kaidanov for almost two years. He also studied with GM Alexander Onischuk.
Ray earned the FIDE Master (FM) title in June 2005. He tied for first place at the Pan American Youth Festival in Brazil. He became a USCF National Master (NM) in January 2006. This happened when his Elo rating went above 2200.
Becoming an International Master
Ray earned the three special scores needed for the IM title very quickly. He got them in just six weeks!
- His first IM score was on November 3, 2007, in Chicago.
- His second was on November 27 at the World Youth Championships in Turkey.
- His third was on December 10 at the UTD GM Invitational in Dallas.
This made him the youngest IM-elect in the United States at the time. He broke the record held by Hikaru Nakamura.
Becoming a Grandmaster
Ray tied for first place in the 2008 Florida championship. On July 16, 2009, he won the U.S. Junior Chess Championship. In August 2009, Ray tied for first at the Arctic Chess Challenge in Norway. This earned him his first GM score. Later that month, he earned his second GM score. He won the 23rd North American FIDE Invitational in Illinois.
He earned his third and final GM score in October 2009. He won the Pan American Junior Chess Championship in Uruguay. FIDE officially gave him the Grandmaster title in January 2010.
Later Career Highlights
Ray played in his first FIDE World Cup in November 2009 in Russia. He competed again in this event two years later. In 2012, Ray won the Webster University - SPICE Cup Open in St. Louis. He did not lose any games in that tournament. In 2014, he finished second in Millionaire Chess in Las Vegas. He lost to Wesley So in the final round. In April 2015, Ray finished second in the 2015 U.S. Championship. He won five games, drew five, and lost only one.
Ray Robson is a five-time Chess.com Puzzle Battle World Champion. He held this title from 2020 to 2024. He won the 2023 tournament while losing only one individual battle. His classical FIDE rating went above 2700 in November 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Ray Robson para niños
