2019 US Women's Chess Champion: Jennifer Yu

Jennifer Yu at the 2018 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship. Photo: Austin Fuller

Jennifer Yu

World Youth Gold Medalist and 2019 US Women's Chess Champion

Birthday: February 1, 2002

City: Ashburn, VA

Jennifer Yu, our 2019 US Women's Chess Champion, is one of America's most promising rising players, earning a myriad of national and international achievements over the years. In 2015, Yu broke two records at once when she won the Virginia State Closed Championship, becoming the youngest player and first female to do so. She's won the National Girls Tournament of Champions three times, tying for first in 2014 and 2015 and taking clear first in 2016. In 2014, Yu won clear first at the World Youth Championships Girls U-12 section, becoming the first American female to win gold in 27 years. In 2017, she again impressed on the international stage, earning a bronze medal at the World Junior Girls Championship (U-20). In 2018, Jennifer earned a bronze medal for the United States team at the Batumi Olympiad. In 2019, she won the US Women's Championship with a resounding 10/11 score, becoming the first teenager since 2000 to win the storied competition. Here is Yu's dynamic victory over the 2018 and 2016 U.S. Women's Champion, Nazi Paikidze, at the 2017 U.S. Women's Championship.

[pgn][Event "US Championship (Women)"] [Site "St Louis, MO USA"] [Date "2017.04.09"] [Round "11.1"] [White "Nazi Paikidze"] [Black "Jennifer R Yu"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D11"] [WhiteElo "2369"] [BlackElo "2196"] [PlyCount "102"] [EventDate "2017.03.29"]1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Qb3 dxc4 5. Qxc4 Bf5 6. g3 e6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O Nbd7 9. e3 O-O 10. Qe2 h6 11. Nc3 Ne4 12. Nd2 Nxd2 13. Bxd2 e5 14. d5 cxd5 15. Nxd5 Bd6 16. Nc3 Nc5 17. e4 Be6 18. Rfd1 Qe7 19. Be3 Rfd8 20. Rac1 Rac8 21. Rc2 b6 22. Rdc1 Nb7 23. Nd5 Qd7 24. Rd1 Rxc2 25. Qxc2 Rc8 26. Qd2 Qc6 27. Bf1 Qa4 28. Nc3 Qa5 29. a3 Bb3 30. Rc1 Rd8 31. Qe2 Bc5 32. Bd2 Bc4 33. Qe1 Bxf1 34. Kxf1 Qa6+ 35. Kg2 Qd3 36. Rd1 Qc2 37. b4 Bf8 38. Nd5 Nd6 39. Bc1 Rc8 40. Kg1 Qxe4 41. Qf1 Nf5 42. Be3 Rc6 43. Qd3 Qxd3 44. Rxd3 Rd6 45. b5 Nd4 46. Nb4 Nxb5 47. a4 Rxd3 48. Nxd3 Nc3 49. Nxe5 Nxa4 50. Nc6 a5 51. Ne5 Bc5 0-1[/pgn]