Rachael Li: The Upcoming Chess Superstar You Should Watch Out For

 

Ever heard of Grandmaster Ruifeng Li?

He is one of the best young chess players in the United States at only 15 years old. He's not even just one of the best young players, but also one of the top 20 players of any age in the U.S.!

What you may not know is that his little sister, six-year-old Rachael Li, may just pass him one day! She seems to have just as many aspirations as he does.

GM Ruifeng Li helps little sister Rachael Li with her electronic recording device.

She made an appearance in the U.S. Junior Closed last year, in an interview with GM Alejandro Ramirez.

 

At that time of the interview, Rachael had a strong showing at the 2016 World Open, a big tournament in Philadelphia, and even called herself the best chess player in her family while her brother attempted to qualify for the U.S. Championship! This year, Rachael did remarkably well again at the World Open, tying for first in her section with a strong 7.5/9 score and only one loss in the whole tournament.

Rachael Li at the World Open chess tournament this year -- controlling the center!

Rachael also played in the ChessKid.com National Online Invitational Championship (CONIC) in April and placed 2^nd in the Age 6 and Under category. You can see a game featured in our ChessKid article, America's Got Talent: 8 Kids Crowned National Champions.

There’s no telling how much of a superstar Rachael can be in the upcoming years. She is already the best female chess player under seven years old in the U.S. and one of the top 10 best overall chess players under seven. Even IM Greg Shahade commented on Rachael’s developments, saying, “She's going to be very, very good. A lot can happen, but her talent level is so high.”

So watch out for her if you find out she's playing in your section at your next tournament. She's rated above 1700 already and will only go up from here!