Atousa Pourkashiyan
Atousa Pourkashiyan | |
|---|---|
Pourkashiyan in 2010 | |
| Born | 16 May 1988 Tehran, Iran |
| Alma mater | University of Tehran |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Chess career | |
| Country | Iran (until 2022) United States (since 2022) |
| Title | Woman Grandmaster (2009) |
| FIDE rating | 2238 (December 2025) |
| Peak rating | 2374 (May 2011) |
Atousa Pourkashiyan (Persian: آتوسا پورکاشیان; Persian pronunciation: [ɒːtuːˈsɒː puːɾkɒːʃiˈjɒːn]; born 16 May 1988) is an Iranian-American chess player. She holds the title of Woman Grandmaster, which FIDE awarded her in 2009.[1]
Career
Pourkashiyan began playing chess when she was 8 years old. She is a seven-time Iranian women's champion (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014) and a record holder among Iranian women chess players.
She was born in Tehran.[2] Pourkashiyan won the World Youth Chess Championship of 2000 in the Girls U12 category.
In April 2010, Pourkashiyan won the Asian Women's Chess Championship in Subic Bay.[3] She competed in the Women's World Chess Championship in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2017.
In team competitions, she has played for Iran at eight Women's Chess Olympiads (2000-2014), the Women's Asian Team Chess Championship, and the World Youth U16 Chess Olympiad.[4]
In 2023, she won an individual silver medal on Board 5 in the FIDE Women's Team Championship, helping Team USA reach the semifinals.[5]
In 2024, Pourkashiyan won the XV Americas Women’s Continental Chess Championship, qualifying her for the 2025 Women's Chess World Cup.[6]
Personal life
Pourkashiyan studied at the University of Tehran and received a bachelor’s degree in sport science and physical education and a master’s degree in sport management.[7]
Pourkashiyan married American grandmaster and five-time US Champion Hikaru Nakamura in 2023.[8]
She was in the news alongside Sarasadat Khademalsharieh when she competed at the World Rapid and Blitz Championship 2022, without a hijab, amidst the Mahsa Amini protests.[9] In December 2022, she changed her federation from Iran to the United States, where she currently resides. Her baby was announced in December 2025.
References
- ^ "Titles approved at the 1st Quarter Presidential Board 2009". FIDE.com. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- ^ "Title Applications. 1st quarter Presidential Board, 5-8 March 2009, Istanbul, TUR". FIDE.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Asia Continental Chess Championships 2010". Chessdom.com. Archived from the original on 4 May 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
- ^ "Women's Chess Olympiads :: Atousa Pourkashiyan". Olimpbase.org. Archived from the original on 24 February 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
- ^ US Chess (12 September 2023). "USA Finishes Fourth in FIDE Women's World Team Championship". US Chess. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ^ "Atousa Pourkashiyan Wins Americas Women's Continental". masterpiechess.com. 2 December 2024.
- ^ "about Atousa Pourkashiyan". Atousa chess. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- ^ Svensen (TarjeiJS), Tarjei J. (26 July 2023). "Hikaru Nakamura Finds His Queen, Marries Atousa Pourkashiyan". Chess.com. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
- ^ "Iranian chess players Sara Khadem and Atousa Pourkashiyan compete in international tournament without hijab". Sky News. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
External links
- Atousa Pourkashiyan rating card at FIDE
- Atousa Pourkashiyan chess games at 365Chess.com
- Atousa Pourkashiyan player profile and games at Chessgames.com
- Atousa Pourkashiyan member profile at the Internet Chess Club (archive)
- "روز هفتم: آتوسا پورکاشیان، قهرمان شطرنج نوجوانان آسيا و جهان" [Day 7: Atousa Pourkashiyan, Asian and world youth chess champion]. BBC Persian (in Persian). 11 June 2004. English translation.