Krush Irena (1983)

U.S. Grandmaster (2013), Woman Grandmaster (2002) and International Master (2000).  Irena was born in Ukraine and immigrated to the U.S. in 1989.  She was the U.S. Women’s Champion 1998, 2007, 2010, 2012 2013, 2014 and 2015. She won the Pan American U16 championship in 1998, with the perfect score of  7:0.

She shared first place in the World Girls U18 Championship 1999, at the NYC Mayor’s Cup 2001 with a Grandmaster norm, and New York Intl 2017.

Krush became the youngest woman ever to compete in the U.S. Women’s Chess Championship at age 11.  She became a Master at age 12 and she has played in the Women Olympiads since 1998. In 1998 she drew with Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier 2-2, in 1999 she drew with Grandmaster Tal Shaked 2-2, in 2004 she defeated Women Grandmaster Almira Skripchenko in a match 1½:½, in 2005 she lost to former Women world champion Zhu Chen (Rapid Chess) 1½-½ and in 2006 she beat Women Grandmaster Elisabeth Paehtz 3½-2½.

Peak rating: 2502 in 2013.