Andy Austin Woodward is an American

chess grandmaster Grandmaster (GM) is a title awarded to chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain. Once achieved, the title is held for life, though exceptionally the t ...

and prodigy.

Chess career

Woodward earned his first IM norm in the 2021 North American Junior Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina. He earned four more IM norms in Novi Sad, Serbia. In October 2022, Woodward earned his first GM norm at the 1000GM Hollywood Masters with a score of 6.5/9, defeating grandmasters

Illia Nyzhnyk Illia Ihorovych Nyzhnyk (; born September 27, 1996) is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster (2011). Chess career He was born in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, and gained worldwide attention when he won Group B of the 2007 Moscow Open at the age of 10. He attaine ...

and Gergely Kántor. Right before this, he made into the knock out stage of the FIDE Fischer Random World Championship qualifiers as the youngest player. In January 2023, Woodward was named to the age 11 section of the All-America Chess Team. He has been part of the All-America Chess Team since 2020. In April 2023, Woodward earned his second GM norm at the Vezerkepzo GM April tournament with a score of 7.0/9, defeating GM

Kaido Külaots Kaido Külaots (born 28 February 1976) is an Estonian chess player. He was awarded the title Grandmaster by FIDE in 2001. Biography He has won the Estonian Chess Championship in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2020 and 2023. Kül ...

and GM

Valeriy Neverov Valeriy Neverov (; ; born 21 June 1964 in Kharkiv) is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster (1991) and four-time Ukrainian Chess Champion (1983, 1985, 1988 and 1996). Chess career In 1991 Neverov won the Capablanca Memorial in Havana, and was a winner ...

. In September 2023, Woodward defeated

Hans Niemann Hans Moke Niemann (born June 20, 2003) is an American Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster and Twitch (service), Twitch streamer. He first entered the top 100 junior players list on March 1, 2019, and became a FIDE grandmaster on January 22, 20 ...

during their encounter in the

World Junior Chess Championship The World Junior Chess Championship is an under-20 chess tournament (players must have been under 20 years old on 1 January in the year of competition) organized by the World Chess Federation (FIDE). The idea was the brainchild of William Rits ...

. In December 2023, Woodward won the 17th Annual SPICE (Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence) Cup ahead of

Aram Hakobyan Aram Hakobyan (; born 15 August 1979) is an Armenian football coach and a former striker. Club career Aram was a top scorer in the Armenian Premier League 2006 season, scoring with 25 goals. He was also voted the best player of the 2005 sea ...

, Yasser Quesada, and Safal Bora. Woodward's performance exceeded the 2600 requirement needed for a grandmaster norm, however did not qualify due to a lack of foreign opponents. In January 2024, Woodward made it to the finals of the Puzzle World Championship, but lost to defending champion

Ray Robson Ray Robson (born October 25, 1994) is an American chess grandmaster. He achieved the grandmaster title in 2010, at the time the youngest American player to be awarded the title by FIDE. Early life Robson was born in Guam to American father G ...

. They met again in the final in 2025, and this time Andy prevailed. On January 30, 2024, Woodward earned his final GM norm at the Jeddah International Chess Festival with a score of 6.0/9 after losing his first two rounds against

Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş (born 3 June 2011) is a Turkish chess prodigy and grandmaster. He was awarded the International Master title prior to turning 12, becoming the youngest individual from Turkey to achieve this title. In 2024 he became the f ...

and

Volodar Murzin Volodar Arturovich Murzin (; born 18 July 2006) is a Russian chess grandmaster and current World Rapid Chess Champion. Originally from Nizhny Tagil, Murzin lives in Khimki. Murzin won the 2024 World Rapid Chess Championship in Wall Street, ...

. With this, he became one of the youngest in history to qualify for the title by fulfilling the requirements for the title at the age of 13 years, 8 months, and 28 days. He is also the second youngest grandmaster in U.S. history, only behind

Abhimanyu Mishra Abhimanyu Mishra (born February 5, 2009) is an American chess grandmaster. A chess prodigy, he holds the record for the world's youngest ever grandmaster, having qualified for the title at the age of 12 years, 4 months, and 25 days. Career Mi ...

. Woodward tied for first in the Saint Louis Summer Classic tournament in May, 2024. He tied for first again in the Universal Open tournament in June. A couple of weeks later, he won the Philadelphia International chess tournament.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Woodward, Andy Living people 2010 births American chess players Chess Grandmasters Sportspeople from Frisco, Texas American children