Woman Grandmaster; International Master (2000); Grandmaster (2013).
Irina Krush ((Russian: Ирина Круш) was born in Odessa, Ukraine. She learned chess in 1989, the same year she and her family moved to Brooklyn in the United States. At age 12 she became a master and won the International Master title in 2000.
Championships
In 1998 she won the U.S. Women's Championship, becoming the youngest-ever holder of that title. The following year she tied for first place in the female section of the World Junior Championship. In 2007 she reclaimed the title of U.S. Women's Champion, and repeated that feat in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2020.
Krush has competed in a number of Women's World Championship events. In 2000, 2004 and 2006, she played in the Women's World Championship Knockout matches, making it to round two on all three occasions. She qualified for the 2008 event but was unable to participate. In the Women's World Championship Knockout Tournament (2012), and beat Singapore IM Li Ruofan and Swedish GM Pia Cramling in the early rounds before bowing out in the tiebreaker to the third round to WGM Huang Qian.
Standard Tournaments
Krush earned her first GM norm in 2001 by tying for first place at the Mayor's Cup International Tournament in New York City. She won her 2nd GM norm at the Women's World Team Championship (2013) and her 3rd GM norm (and requisite 2500 rating) at the Baku Open (2013).
Match
In 1998, she lost a short match to John Fedorowicz by 1.5-2.5 (+0 -1 =3).
Team Events
<Olympiads> Krush played for the US women's team in 1998, and from 2002 to 2012 inclusive, playing either first or second board. She was second board for the silver-medal-winning US team at the 36th Olympiad, Women (2004) and board one for the bronze medal winning team at the Dresden Olympiad (Women) (2008).
<World Team Championships> Krush played for the USA in the Yinzhou Cup Women World Teams (2009) and the Women's World Team Championship in 2013 (see above). Playing board 2 in the latter, she scored a silver and a gold medal, and won her 3rd GM norm, for her efforts on board two.
<National Leagues> Krush plays for the New York Knights in the U.S. Chess League and has played for Guildford ADC in the 4NCL.
Kasparov vs The World
Krush was part of the consultation team that included Etienne Bacrot, Elisabeth Paehtz and Florin Felecanin that made recommendations to the public in the Kasparov vs The World, 1999 game played over the internet. Garry Kasparov played the white pieces and The World, via the internet, voted on moves for the black pieces, guided by the recommendations of Krush and the others.
Other
Pascal Charbonneau is her ex-husband.
Wikipedia article: Irina Krush; USCF bio: http://www.uschesschamps.com/2013-u...
Kibitzing
