Yasser Seirawan

International Chess Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan is one of the top-ranked chess players in the USA a rank he kept for decades. At nineteen he became an international chess grandmaster and 1979 World Junior Champion; winner of the US Championship four times; a ten-time member of the US Olympic Team and twice Candidate for the World Championship. He has the distinction of defeating both Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov in tournament play while they were World Champions. In 2006 he was inducted into the Chess Hall of Fame. He is an author of sixteen books including Chess Duels released in 2010.

Recent news

Yasser Seirawan - A Radical Solution Final Thoughts

12/31/2016 – After the World Championship match between Sergey Karjakin and Magnus Carlsen Yasser Seirawan proposed a "Radical Solution" to change the format of the World Championship match. It triggered an enormous discussion. Readers sent in hundreds of comments, Emil Sutovsky and Maurice Ashley published different proposals. Now Seirawan sums up his final thoughts on the World Championship format.

A narrow escape: Seirawan on Carlsen vs Karjakin (3/3)

12/13/2016 – Magnus Carlsen won the World Championship match against Sergey Karjakin by winning the tie-break convincingly 3-1. The last move of the match was a stunning queen sacrifice. Carlsen retained his title and it is easy to forget how close Karjakin was to becoming new World Champion. Yasser Seirawan takes a look at the second part of the match and all its drama.

Surprises and Frustrations - Carlsen vs Karjakin (2/3)

12/10/2016 – Before the World Championship match in New York almost everyone saw Magnus Carlsen as clear favorite. But Sergey Karjakin was a surprisingly difficult opponent and though Carlsen had very good chances in the first half of the match he failed to crack Karjakin's defenses. Carlsen was frustrated, the match became tense. Yasser Seirawan takes a look at games 1 to 6.

Carlsen vs Karjakin: Missed opportunities

12/7/2016 – Having a World Championship in Manhattan, in New York, the financial and media capital of the world - this sounds like a dream come true. A golden opportunity to put chess into the limelight, to experience three weeks of chess fever and a chance to show the world why the game is so exciting. But in his first part of a three-part review of the Carlsen vs Karjakin match in New York, Yasser Seirawan critizes that a lot of opportunities were missed.

Yasser Seirawan sets the record straight

5/18/2002 – On May 7 a momentous reunification contract was signed in Prague. "I've been following the post Prague reactions and had a few good chuckles," Yasser Seirawan told us. "Lots of folks have things very mixed up and thus the need to make a clear historical record of what took place." Yasser does so in a momentous three-part essay you will not want to miss. Part one and all necessary background information is available here.