Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan was named as the head coach of the chess program for its inaugural season in August, 2012.
Seirawan is a four-time U.S. Champion and former World Championship contender and was a dominant force in American chess in the 1980’s.
He was born in Damascus, Syria and his family immigrated to the United States when he was seven and settled in Seattle, Wash. He first learned the game of chess when he was 12 years old and honed his skills playing against the top players in the area including Latvian-born master Viktors Pupols and six-time Washington State Champion James Harley McCormick.
Seirawan became the Washington State Junior Champion when he was just 13 and won the World Junior Championship in 1979 six years later. He would dominate the American chess scene, winning the U.S. Championship title in 1981, 1986 and 1989. He claimed the U.S. Championship title again in 2000 and continued to play in major world-class events until he announced his retirement in 2003.
Seirawan was ultimately lured out of retirement in 2011 to again play in the U.S. Championship, which was held that year in St. Louis. He cited the exciting developments in the St. Louis chess scene as a contributing factor for his renewed interest in competing.
Seirawan followed the 2011 U.S. Championship with a stunning performance at the 2011 World Team Championship, where he earned an individual silver medal for his performance on board four throughout the event.
Seirawan is a highly respected teacher and commentator and has authored several books including Chess Duels, the 2010 Chesscafe.com Book of the Year. He currently serves as the acting Resident Grandmaster of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.
