Abhimanyu Mishra

Grandmaster Abhimanyu Mishra’s career to date has been one of firsts. The New Jersey native holds the American records for the youngest player to achieve an Expert rating of 2000 (seven years, six months, and 22 days) and Master rating 0f 2200 (9 years, 2 months, and 17 days). He once held the record for the youngest player in the history of chess to earn the International Master at 10 years, 9 months, and 20 days which has since been eclipsed by Faustino Oro by a month. Abhi still holds the most important of all youth records, that of the youngest Grandmaster. He set the mark of 12 years, 4 months, and 25 days in 2021 and it still stands.

Currently the ninth rated junior in the world under 21 (19-year-old World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju tops the list!) and the third under 17, Mishra will enter the tournament as the top seed. He will be looking to win the event and with it automatic entry into the U.S. Championship. The last time Abhi played in this event (2023) he was victorious but it was not easy. Expect the other players to be gunning for him this year.