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Jesse Kraai
J Kraai 
Photo by Macauley Peterson  

Number of games in database: 284
Years covered: 1989 to 2024
Last FIDE rating: 2378
Highest rating achieved in database: 2527
Overall record: +85 -76 =76 (51.9%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 47 exhibition games, blitz/rapid, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 King's Indian (25) 
    E94 E92 E91 E93 E69
 English (19) 
    A15 A13 A16 A14
 Reti System (16) 
    A04
 Sicilian (10) 
    B31 B39 B92 B84 B46
 Slav (10) 
    D11 D12 D14 D10 D13
 Queen's Pawn Game (7) 
    A46 D02 A45 A40 E10
With the Black pieces:
 French Defense (47) 
    C11 C05 C00 C02 C12
 French (25) 
    C11 C00 C12
 Sicilian (16) 
    B40 B82 B31 B80 B44
 French Tarrasch (14) 
    C05 C07
 Queen's Pawn Game (14) 
    A40 E00 A46 D05
 English (13) 
    A10 A14 A13
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   J Kraai vs Nakamura, 2007 1-0
   R Burnett vs J Kraai, 2004 0-1
   J Kraai vs C Harmon, 2003 1-0
   J Kraai vs Yermolinsky, 2005 1-0
   A Florean vs J Kraai, 2006 0-1
   J Kraai vs Seirawan, 2002 1/2-1/2
   J Kraai vs E Schiller, 2002 1/2-1/2
   J Kraai vs A Kobernat, 2001 1-0
   J Kraai vs S Owen, 2004 1-0
   J Bloomer vs J Kraai, 2005 0-1

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   USA Championship (Seniors) (2024)
   Koltanowski Memorial Open (2000)
   Saint Louis Invitational (2011)
   Edmonton International (2009)
   32nd World Open (2004)
   37th World Open (2009)
   United States Championship (2010)
   Foxwoods Open (2007)
   United States Championship (2006)
   31st World Open (2003)
   United States Championship (2002)
   13th Unive Tournament (Open) (2009)
   United States Championship (2003)
   Groningen Open (1997)
   HB Global Chess Challenge (2005)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   2011 Saint Louis invitational by gauer
   Lookat Kraai's e6Ds by fredthebear

RECENT GAMES:
   🏆 USA Championship (Seniors)
   J Kraai vs J Becerra Rivero (Jul-25-24) 1-0
   Shabalov vs J Kraai (Jul-24-24) 0-1
   Kaidanov vs J Kraai (Jul-23-24) 0-1
   J Kraai vs L Christiansen (Jul-22-24) 1-0
   V Akopian vs J Kraai (Jul-20-24) 1-0

Search Sacrifice Explorer for Jesse Kraai
Search Google for Jesse Kraai
FIDE player card for Jesse Kraai

JESSE KRAAI
(born May-06-1972, 53 years old) United States of America

[what is this?]

Jessie Kraai, 1987 National Junior HS champion and 1988 National High School co-champion, received a B.A from Shimer College in 1994, an M.A. in philosophy from the University of Jena, Germany in 1996, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Heidelberg in 2001. He was awarded the GM title in 2007. In 2013, Kraai published Lisa: A Chess Novel.

https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessDojo...

References / Sources

(1) http://uschessleague.com/results.ph... ; (2) https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast... (2017 podcast interview with Ben Johnson of Perpetual Chess)

Wikipedia article: Jesse Kraai

Last updated: 2022-07-21 12:35:55

Try our new games table.

 page 1 of 12; games 1-25 of 284  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. M Brooks vs J Kraai  ½-½241989American OpenB82 Sicilian, Scheveningen
2. J Kraai vs W J Donaldson  0-1301989American OpenD46 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
3. D Edelman vs J Kraai  1-0241990US Open-91B82 Sicilian, Scheveningen
4. E Martinovsky vs J Kraai  0-1401990Lincolnwood TOCB21 Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4
5. J Bonin vs J Kraai 1-027199018th World OpenA70 Benoni, Classical with 7.Nf3
6. D Gurevich vs J Kraai  1-0611990Illinois ClassE00 Queen's Pawn Game
7. D Gurevich vs J Kraai  0-1671990Master Challenge XIIA70 Benoni, Classical with 7.Nf3
8. R Torregrossa vs J Kraai 1-0341990Twin City OpenA22 English
9. J Kraai vs K Bachler  0-1311990Ken Wallach Make My Salad OpenE69 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Classical Main line
10. J Kraai vs E Martinovsky  ½-½411991Greater Peoria opD86 Grunfeld, Exchange
11. D Gurevich vs J Kraai  1-0411991Chicago Chess CenterA30 English, Symmetrical
12. J Kraai vs I Ivanov  0-160199192nd US OpenE91 King's Indian
13. T Shaked vs J Kraai  1-050199192nd US OpenB81 Sicilian, Scheveningen, Keres Attack
14. J Kraai vs L Pettersson  1-0561991New York OpenD86 Grunfeld, Exchange
15. J Waitzkin vs J Kraai  0-1291991New York OpenB80 Sicilian, Scheveningen
16. A Bauza vs J Kraai  ½-½281991New York OpenB80 Sicilian, Scheveningen
17. J Kraai vs A Sherzer  0-1291991New York OpenE69 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Classical Main line
18. J Kraai vs D Gurevich 0-1261991New York OpenE10 Queen's Pawn Game
19. J Kraai vs A Ivanov  0-1591991National OpenA40 Queen's Pawn Game
20. M Brooks vs J Kraai  1-037199192nd US OpenB87 Sicilian, Fischer-Sozin with ...a6 and ...b5
21. J Kraai vs S Ivanov  0-1301995Berliner SommerD48 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, Meran
22. A Deev vs J Kraai  0-1401995Berliner SommerB40 Sicilian
23. J Kraai vs F Doettling  ½-½201997BL2-S 9697E93 King's Indian, Petrosian System
24. G Gauglitz vs J Kraai  0-1391997BL2-S 9697A43 Old Benoni
25. O Sick vs J Kraai  0-1251997BL2-S 9798B40 Sicilian
 page 1 of 12; games 1-25 of 284  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Kraai wins | Kraai loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Oct-17-08  sneaky pete: Wilhelm Müller: Die Krähe

Eine Krähe war mit mir
Aus der Stadt gezogen,
Ist bis heute für und für
Um mein Haupt geflogen.

Krähe, wunderliches Tier,
Willst mich nicht verlassen?
Meinst wohl, bald als Beute hier
Meinen Leib zu fassen?

Nun, es wird nicht weit mehr geh'n
An dem Wanderstabe.
Krähe, laß mich endlich seh'n
Treue bis zum Grabe!

Dec-28-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: At the 1990 U.S. Open in Jacksonville, Florida, Jesse Kraai got into a rut. Rated 2300 (at age 17), Kraai suddenly started drawing Experts (USCF 2000-2199) round after round.

The morning after draw #5, I noticed him in the lobby, busily scribbling away on some paper. A few minutes later he was gone, but the paper had been left behind. I was nosy enough to take a look at it.

He had written the following sentence no fewer than 87 times:

<I, Jesse Kraai, hereby swear that I will never draw a low-life Expert.>

It didn't work. He drew #6 that night.

Jul-09-09  myschkin: . . .

"His dissertation examined the influence of Georg Joachim Rheticus on the development of Copernican theory."

Rheticus' engagement with Copernicus is discussed in the light of new documents. In particular it is shown that there were strong astrological motivations behind Rheticus' acceptance of the heliocentric theory.

http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/...

*

Daaim Shabazz remembers reading a story on Kraai who was reputed to be a neighborhood troublemaker in his youth. When asked why he chose chess, he said it was the most violent game he could find.

*

Fide Card: http://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?...

*

Pics

On the roof: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dMCVCOEiZ...

Krushed: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dMCVCOEiZ...

Oct-17-09  wanabe2000: Jesse just won his 2nd round game against Adrian Clemens in the open tournament at Hoogeveen.
May-14-10  BIDMONFA: Jesse Kraai

KRAAI, Jesse
http://www.bidmonfa.com/kraai_jesse...
_

May-18-10  FHBradley: A nice bio.
Aug-11-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Fusilli: <Peligroso Patzer: <Seeing this picture, though, he's a hell of a lot older than I thought.> According to the chess column in last Sunday's New York Times (featuring Kraai vs. Nakamura, Foxwoods 2007), Kraai is 34 years old.>

The picture does not do him justice at all. It's an awful shot. In person he looks about his actual age. It's like the picture shows how he will look in 10 or 15 years.

He has a PhD, by the way. Is there any other active GM with a doctoral degree?

Aug-11-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Fusilli: Answering my own question: Robert Huebner.
Dec-12-10  Eastfrisian: .. and: Helmut Pfleger
May-06-11  Willem Wallekers: and John Nunn
Sep-10-12  Poisonpawns: I felt Jesse Kraai was being somewhat disingenuous and dismissive when he said that the Tarrach (Nd2) against the French wasn`t "A good move at all." In one of his Instructional videos on the French Defense. My first thought was; "Do you know how many strong GM`s above 2700 play it regularly? Michael Adams comes immediately to mind.Now I check his games regularly to see if was smashed in a French Tarrach yet.
Sep-10-12  zoren: <Poisonpawns> Where did you read/hear that? He has a full lecture series on the French and the venom associated even with obscure sidelines. IIRC he has expressed a small dissatisfaction playing against Nd2 because Black can often be playing against someone whose happy with a small but nagging advantage - perhaps you heard him out of context!
Sep-11-12  Poisonpawns: It is a video presentation of his from chesslecture.com from a few years ago that he did. A "contributor" asked him to do a video specifically on the Tarrach variation because he "did not know how to play against it" as Black in the French. Kraai then responded by saying that Nd2 "wasn`t really a good move" without too much explanation, except to say that black can play the Guimard??(really) against it and then taught about Nc3 and thus avoided the request.
Oct-03-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  tarek1: <Poisonpawns> I am also a chesslecture.com subscriber. It looks like he changed his mind on the matter because in some later videos he announced that the Tarrasch made him abandon the French... Actually now it seems that he abandoned chess because he didn't play a rated game since around may 2011 and didn't record a single new video, so...
Oct-03-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: < zoren: ....IIRC (Kraai) has expressed a small dissatisfaction playing against Nd2 because Black can often be playing against someone whose happy with a small but nagging advantage....>

An approach which suited Karpov down to the ground, though in the first and second of their top-level matches, Korchnoi held the draw in all nine games, despite playing a somewhat shaky line in both 1978 encounters (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...). In their final match (1981), Korchnoi did not play the French at all, responding to 1.e4 with 1....e5 (Karpov-Korchnoi World Championship Rematch (1981)).

Jul-11-13  The Last Straw: <Fusili: Is there any other active grandmaster with a doctoral degree?>

I think Yona Kosashvili has one

Jun-09-14  pazzed paun: does anybody know how he is doing after his vehicle accident?
Jun-09-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  JointheArmy: <pazzed paun> He looks better than ever, IMO.

Played him in a simul in Cupertino. He had lots of cuts/scraps on his legs, but other than that he looked good!

Nov-28-14  waustad: He is the author of the novel, "Lisa, a Chess Novel." I for one found it interesting and entertaining. Here is his personal website: http://jessekraai.com/
May-24-15  TheFocus: <The beautiful thing about chess is, it's one of the few places in the world where you are just objectively judged for what you have done last week. There is no boss or someone telling you this, that or the other thing. ... I don't need a boss> - Jesse Kraai.
May-06-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  redlance: Happy Birthday!!!
May-06-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: <Fusili: Is there any other active grandmaster with a doctoral degree?>

http://billwall.phpwebhosting.com/a...

May-06-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: From <OCF>'s link:

<Dr. Beniamin Blumenfeld (1884-1947) was a Russian chess master; PhD. His dissertation was on the nature of blunders in chess.>

Think I was the subject of his study...

May-06-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  ketchuplover: Kraai me a river! Oh and happy birthday
May-06-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  fredthebear: Jesse is a Chess Dojo (not all dojos are alike):

Improvement - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz3...

Tactical Separation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lK...

Rook Endings - https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...

Carlsbad Structure - https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...

Queenside - https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...

Useful lessons from an experienced teacher! How many grandmasters give out free lessons?

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