Rachel Li

Rachael Li of Plano, Texas, started early, learning to play chess when she was only four years old. Five years later, in 2019, she became the youngest American female to attain the title of Master (2200 rating), a record that still stands. Rachael likes to play(!) as evidenced by the over 300 tournaments she has played in her career despite taking a break from the game for three years between the summers of 2020 and 2023. 

She has gained close to 300 points FIDE rating points the past two years and just had an outstanding performance in the 2025 North American Open where she scored 2 ½ – 3 ½ versus strong grandmasters and raised her U.S.C.F. rating over 2400 for the first time. Rachael is currently rated the ninth rated female player in the world under 20. 

Rachael’s brother is Grandmaster Ruifeng Li.