Alice Lee (chess player)

Last updated
Alice Lee
Country United States
Born (2009-10-13) October 13, 2009 (age 14)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Title International Master (2023)
Woman Grandmaster (2023)
Peak rating 2406 (November 2023)

Alice Teresa Lee (born October 13, 2009) is an American chess player with the titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She is the youngest American female, and the third youngest female worldwide, to achieve the IM title. Her tournament victories include winning the 2024 Women's American Cup, being a two-time U.S. Girls' Junior Champion, a three-time World Youth Champion, and earning two medals at the Chess Olympiads.

Contents

Early career

Alice Lee started playing chess at age 6 in her school’s chess club, where her older brother was already a member. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

By age 8, she had already earned the title of US Chess Expert, and by age 10, she had become a US Chess National Master (NM). [2] [7] At age 9, she won the under-18 section of the 2019 National Girls Championships. [8] [9]

U.S. Women's Championships

Lee began competing in the U.S. Women's Championship at age 12. [10] [11] [12]

At age 13, she secured a clear third place in the 2023 championship with a score of 7.5/11. [13]

Women's American Cup

Lee has set several records at the Women's American Cup, becoming both the youngest participant and the youngest winner of the tournament. She claimed the championship in 2024 and finished as the runner-up twice.

At age 12, she secured second place at the 2022 Women's American Cup, delivering a series of surprising victories. [14] [15]

At age 13, she again finished second at the 2023 Women's American Cup. She tied two classical matches with GM Irina Krush before losing in the rapid playoffs. [16] [17]

At age 14, she won the 2024 Women's American Cup by defeating GM Irina Krush in the Grand Final. Her victory places her alongside Bobby Fischer and Irina Krush as one of the youngest players to win a major chess title in the United States. [18] [19] [20] [21] [22]

U.S. Junior Championships

Lee began competing in the US Girls' Junior Championships when she was 10 years old.

At age 13, she won the 2023 US Girls' Junior Championship with a score of 7.5/9, making her the youngest winner in the tournament's history. [23] [24]

At age 14, she successfully defended her title at the 2024 US Girls' Junior Championship. [25] [26]

World Youth Championships

Lee is a three-time gold medalist at the World Youth Championships (under-10 girls section in 2019; under-12 girls section in 2020; under-12 girls section in 2021). [27] [28] [29] She was also the winner of the online FIDE Youth Rapid World Cup (under-12 girls section in 2021). [30]

International Team Competitions

Lee began representing the USA Women's Team in international competitions at age 13. So far, she has won three medals: two from the Chess Olympiads (a team bronze and an individual silver) and one from the World Team Championships (an individual gold).

At 13, Lee played on the top board for Team USA at the 2023 World Women's Team Championship, where she won the individual gold medal with a score of 7.5/11. The U.S. women’s team achieved their best-ever finish in the tournament, placing 4th. [31] [32]

At 14, she competed in the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest, helping Team USA secure its first medal in 16 years by winning the bronze. With a score of 8/10, she also earned the individual silver medal on board 4. [33]

Other Notable Tournaments

At age 14, Lee became the youngest participant of the Cairns Cup, one of the world's strongest female super tournaments. [34] She finished with a score of 4/9. [35]

FIDE titles/ratings

Lee is the youngest American female to achieve the IM title (at 13 years and 7 months old), breaking the previous record held by Carissa Yip (at 16 years and 1 month old). [4] Worldwide, Lee is one of three female players to earn the IM title at age 13, joining GMs Judit Polgár and Kateryna Lagno. [1] [36]

At age 11, she earned the WIM title by winning the under-18 girls section of the 2021 North American Youth Championships. [37]

At age 12, she earned her FM title, first International Master (IM) norm, and first Woman Grandmaster (WGM) norm at the 2022 Southwest Class Championships. [38] [39]

At age 13, she won a second IM norm and a second WGM norm at the 2023 1000GM St. Louis IM Norm Tournament. [4] [40]

At age 13, she crossed the 2400 live rating mark after the first two rounds during the 2023 1000GM NYC IM Norm Tournament, thereby fulfilling the rating requirement for the IM title.

At age 13, she won her final IM norm and final WGM norm at the 2023 Canadian Transnational Championship and hence qualified for both the IM and WGM titles. [4] [36]

In November 2023, as Lee's FIDE rating reached 2406, she became the world's #46 rated female player and the #2 rated female player in the USA and the Americas.

Notable games

At the 2022 Southwest Class Championships, Lee defeated IM Viktor Gazik (2543) to clinch her first IM and WGM norms. [38] [39]

At the 2023 Pro Chess League, she defeated GM Matthias Bluebaum (2661) (Berlin Bears) and GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac (2700) (Croatia Bulldogs) to help St. Louis Arch Bishops reach the playoffs; in the quarter finals, she drew GM Hikaru Nakamura (2775) (Gotham Knights). [1] [41] [42] [43] [44]

At the 2023 Canadian Transnational Championship, she defeated two GMs, including GM Arturs Neiksans (2605), and drew four other GMs, including GM Lazaro Bruzon Batista (2617). A performance rating of 2531 secured her final IM and WGM norms.

At the 2024 Women's American Cup, she defeated GM Irina Krush (2421) in the Grand Final to become one of the youngest players to win a major chess title in the United States. [45]

At the 2024 Cairns Cup, she defeated former Women's World Champion GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (2501) in the fourth round.

At the 2024 World Open, she defeated GM Tuan Minh Le (2568) in the fourth round.

Other chess activities and awards

In July 2023, Lee was interviewed by Good Morning America after becoming the youngest American female IM. [46]

At age 10, she began co-hosting the Chesskid.com show "Alice's Pawn Palace" alongside FM Mike Klein. [47]

As an ambassador for Chesskid.com, she took part in various Chesskid.com and Chess.com activities. [48] [49] [50] [51]

She was chosen for the Frank P. Samford, Jr. Chess Fellowship in 2022, 2023, and 2024. [52]

She won the US Chess "Young Player of The Year" award in 2024, marking her as the first female player to achieve this distinction. [53]

In May 2024, the Minnesota Senate passed a resolution to congratulate Alice Lee on her American Cup victory and extraordinary chess career. [54] [55]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Barden, Leonard (23 June 2023). "Teenager Alice Lee sets new landmark for US women's chess after online feats". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 Lee, Alice (14 July 2021). "I'm 11 and the Youngest Chess Master in the 2021 U.S. Junior Championships'". Newsweek. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  3. ↑ Chalifoux, Mark (21 July 2021). "Real Life 'Queen's Gambit'? An 11-Year-Old Prodigy Is Making Chess History". The Dad. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Lawrence, AL (15 June 2023). "Alice Lee Breaks Yip's Record, Becomes Youngest American Female IM". US Chess. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  5. ↑ Flores, Tatiana (28 May 2023). "A Rising Chess Star: An interview with Alice Lee". ChessBase. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  6. ↑ Ki, Nicole (13 September 2023). "North Oaks teen is youngest American girl to become chess international master". MPR News. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  7. ↑ Anna, Leonard (2 June 2024). "Alice Lee, a 14-year-old North Oaks chess master, demonstrates discipline in the game of high strategy". Yahoo/Pioneer Press. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  8. ↑ US Chess (14 April 2019). "Results Are In At The 16th Annual KCF All Girls Nationals". US Chess. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  9. ↑ Dynako, Betsy (16 April 2019). "From Princess Leias To Queens Of Chicago: The 16th KCF All Girls Nationals". US Chess. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  10. ↑ Colodro, Carlos (20 October 2022). "Fabiano Caruana is the 2022 U.S. champion". ChessBase. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  11. ↑ Saint Louis Chess Club (5 October 2022). "Alice Lee: Didn't Expect to Beat Ashritha – Round 1". Saint Louis Chess Club. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  12. ↑ Saint Louis Chess Club (13 October 2022). "Alice Lee: Didn't Want to Lose on My Birthday – Round 8". Saint Louis Chess Club. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  13. ↑ International Chess Federation (18 October 2023). "2023 U.S. Championships: Fabiano Caruana and Carissa Yip win titles". FIDE. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  14. ↑ Hansen, Carsten (29 April 2022). "Caruana, Krush Crowned Champions: The American Cup Day 9". Chess.com. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  15. ↑ Saint Louis Chess Club (21 April 2022). "Alice Lee: Still a Bit in Shock! - Day 2". Saint Louis Chess Club. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  16. ↑ Hansen, Carsten (26 March 2023). "Krush Extends Queenship, So Dominates Nakamura In Tiebreaker". Chess.com. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  17. ↑ Saint Louis Chess Club (17 March 2023). "Alice Lee: I have Chances Against Anybody – Day 1". Saint Louis Chess Club. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  18. ↑ Benchaabane, Nassim (22 March 2024). "14-year-old chess prodigy wins elite tournament in St. Louis". Saint Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  19. ↑ Saint Louis Chess Club, Nassim (27 March 2024). "International Master Alice Lee and Grandmaster Levon Aronian Win American Cup Women's and Open Tournaments". Saint Louis Chess Club. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  20. ↑ Chess.com (21 March 2024). "14-Year-Old Alice Lee Wins Women's American Cup In Blitz Playoffs". Chess.com. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  21. ↑ Erdahl, Kent (25 March 2024). "North Oaks' 14-year-old chess master adds elite title to impressive resume". KARE11. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  22. ↑ Saint Louis Chess Club (21 March 2024). "WATCH: Alice Lee FINALLY Beats Irina Krush to Win the Cup! - Day 10". Saint Louis Chess Club. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  23. ↑ US Chess (24 July 2023). "Lee and Khachiyan clinch titles, Junior Up for Grabs After Action-Packed Turn". US Chess. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  24. ↑ US Chess (26 July 2023). "Wednesday Workout: TV's Alice Lee!". US Chess. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  25. ↑ Doggers, Peter (26 July 2024). "Akopian, Lee, Yoo Winners At U.S. National Championships". Chess.com. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  26. ↑ Saint Louis Chess Club (29 July 2024). "IM Alice Lee, GM Christopher Yoo and GM Vladimir Akopian Crowned Winners in U.S. Girls, Junior and Senior Championships in Saint Louis". Business Wire. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  27. ↑ Shahade, Jennifer (1 September 2019). "Newsflash: Liran Zhou And Alice Lee Earn Gold In China, Bronze For Li And Yan". US Chess. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  28. ↑ Lee, Alice (13 January 2021). "My Adventurous Gold Medal Run". ChessKid. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  29. ↑ Lee, Alice (24 January 2022). "2021 Super Final Champion: Third Time is a Charm!". ChessKid. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  30. ↑ Jerauld, Brian (2 September 2021). "Christopher Yoo, Alice Lee Win 2021 FIDE Online Cadets Rapid World Cup". US Chess. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  31. ↑ Lang, JJ (12 September 2023). "USA Finishes Fourth in FIDE Women's World Team Championship". US Chess. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  32. ↑ West, Vanessa (12 September 2023). "Top Seeds Take Cinderella's Glass Slipper, Georgia Wins Gold Ahead of Kazakhstan". Chess.com. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  33. ↑ Lang, JJ (25 September 2024). "Two Team, Three Individual Medals for Americans as India Takes Double Gold at 45th FIDE Olympiad". US Chess. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  34. ↑ Lang, JJ (13 June 2024). "Cairns Cup Begins Today in St. Louis". US Chess. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  35. ↑ Sands, David (25 June 2024). "Lee impresses, but Tan takes the top prize in chess at hard-fought Cairns Cup". Washington Times. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  36. 1 2 West, Vanessa (15 June 2023). "13-Year-Old Alice Lee Earns IM Title". Chess.com. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  37. ↑ Murphy, Liam (23 August 2021). "Tani, Alice Win International Titles At North American Youth". ChessKid. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  38. 1 2 Root, Alexey (22 February 2022). "Yoo, Javakhadze are Chess Winners, International Master Norm for Lee". ChessBase. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  39. 1 2 Klein, Mike (23 February 2022). "WIM Alice Lee Earns First IM Norm!". ChessKid. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  40. ↑ Lang, JJ (10 February 2023). "Norm Hunter: A Dozen Norms in Two Months". US Chess. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  41. ↑ West, Vanessa (4 March 2023). "Adhiban Gains Perfect Score For Team MGD1, Lee Wins Upset Of Season For Arch Bishops". Chess.com. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  42. ↑ Pro Chess League (4 March 2023). "13-year-old FM Alice Lee Celebrates Huge Win Against A Grandmaster". Chess Clips. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  43. ↑ Levin, Anthony (16 March 2023). "Arch Bishops, Blitz Move To Playoffs; Alice Lee Upsets Super-GM, Caruana Goes 4/4". Chess.com. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  44. ↑ Pro Chess League (16 March 2023). "13 year-old Alice Lee is thrilled After Beating Chess Super Grandmaster!". Chess.com. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  45. ↑ Saint Louis Chess Club (21 March 2024). "The American Cup 2024: Day 10 – Rapid Grand Final & The American Cup Blitz". Saint Louis Chess Club. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  46. ↑ ABC News (26 July 2023). "Alice Lee celebrates International Chess Master title". ABC News. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  47. ↑ Chesskid (4 December 2020). "Girl's Play Chess Too! Alice's Pawn Palace – Episode 1". Chesskid. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  48. ↑ West, Vanessa (31 August 2023). "Alice Lee Prevails vs. Tani Adewumi With Stunning Bullet Comeback". Chess.com. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  49. ↑ West, Vanessa (18 November 2023). "ChessKid Stars Defeat Harvard". Chess.com. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  50. ↑ Levin, Anthony (27 February 2024). "Team Wesley So & Alice Lee Kill With Kindness In Quarterfinals". Chess.com. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  51. ↑ McGourty, Colin (24 September 2024). "Alice Lee, Vaishali Win Thrillers To Reach Quarterfinals". Chess.com. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  52. ↑ Lang, JJ (June 12, 2024). "2024 Samford Fellowship Winners Announced". US Chess.org.
  53. ↑ US Chess (10 July 2024). "2024 US Chess Awards Recipients". US Chess. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  54. ↑ Minnesota Senate (1 May 2024). "Minnesota Senate Resolution S.R. No. 96". Minnesota Senate. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  55. ↑ Gustafson, Heather (7 May 2024). "Senator Heather Gustafson Presents Honorary Resolution to North Oaks Women's American Cup Chess Champion". Minnesota Senate DFL. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
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