{{short description|American chess player (born 2003)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2019}} {{Infobox chess biography | name = Carissa Yip | image = CarissaYip2026.jpg | caption = Yip in 2026 | birth_name = Carissa Shiwen Yip | country = United States | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2003|9|10}} | birth_place = Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | title = {{unbulleted list|class=nowrap | International Master (2020) | Woman Grandmaster (2019) }} | FideID = 2090732 <!-- automatically displays current rating if 2400+ --> | peakrating = 2486 (March 2026) }} {{Infobox Chinese | t = {{linktext|葉|詩|文}} | s = {{linktext|叶|诗|文}} | p = Yè Shīwén | j = Jip<sup>6</sup> Si<sup>1</sup> Man<sup>4</sup> }}
'''Carissa Shiwen Yip''' (born September 10, 2003) is an American chess player and the winner of the 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025 U.S. Women's Chess Championship.<ref name="us-chess-champion" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://new.chess24.com/en/wall/news/carissa-yip-wins-2nd-us-women-s-championship-at-20|title=Carissa Yip wins 2nd US Women's Championship at 20|date=2023-10-18|publisher=Chess24|access-date=18 October 2023}}</ref> In September 2019, she was the top rated female player in the United States<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Progress-Watch/2019/0906/Meet-America-s-top-ranked-female-chess-player-A-teenager |title=Meet America's top-ranked female chess player: A teenager |last=Robertson |first=Noah |date=September 6, 2019 |newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor |access-date=December 8, 2019 |issn=0882-7729}}</ref> and the youngest female chess player to defeat a grandmaster, which she did at age ten; in August 2025 Bodhana Sivanandan surpassed her record as youngest female player to defeat a grandmaster.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/bodhana-youngest-woman-to-beat-gm-adams-takes-9th-british-title|title=Bodhana Becomes Youngest Woman To Beat Grandmaster As Adams Wins 9th British Title|date=August 12, 2025|first=Tarjei|last=Svensen}}</ref> In October 2019, she became the youngest American woman in history to qualify for the title of International Master, a record surpassed by Alice Lee in June 2023.<ref name="auto">{{cite web |last1=Lawrence |first1=AL|date=15 June 2023 |title=Alice Lee Breaks Yip's Record, Becomes Youngest American Female IM |url=https://new.uschess.org/news/alice-lee-breaks-yips-record-becomes-youngest-american-female-im |website=US Chess |access-date=15 June 2023}}</ref>
==Early life and chess career== Carissa Shiwen Yip<ref>{{cite web |url=http://chessstream.com/profile/carissa-shiwen-yip-5416 |title=CARISSA SHIWEN YIP |publisher=chessstream.com |year=2016 |access-date=December 10, 2019}}</ref> was born on September 10, 2003, in Boston.<ref>{{cite web |title=IM title application |url=https://ratings.fide.com/crt/main228127.pdf |website=FIDE}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/2013/07/14/weekly-chess-column/CsNuFrdGPQ0YFwdSQPwQCP/story.html|title=Weekly chess column – The Boston Globe|website=BostonGlobe.com}}</ref> Her father Percy Yip ({{lang-zh|c=葉培照}}; Pinyin: Yè Péizhào) was from Hong Kong, and her mother Irene Yip (née Cheng, {{lang-zh|s=程华琳}}; Pinyin: Chéng Huálín) was from mainland China.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sampan.org/2016/04/carissa-yip-to-play-in-national-womens-chess-competition/ |title=Carissa Yip to play in national women's chess competition |last=Wong |first=Ling-Mei |newspaper=Sampan |date=April 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219023853/https://sampan.org/2016/04/carissa-yip-to-play-in-national-womens-chess-competition/ |access-date=December 18, 2019 |archive-date=December 19, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://sampan.org/zh-hant/2016/04/%E8%91%89%E8%A9%A9%E6%96%87%E5%8F%83%E5%8A%A0%E5%85%A8%E7%BE%8E%E5%A5%B3%E5%AD%90%E8%B1%A1%E6%A3%8B%E6%AF%94%E8%B3%BD/ |title=葉詩文參加全美女子象棋比賽 |language=zh |last=Wong |first=Ling-Mei |newspaper=Sampan |date=April 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219023900/https://sampan.org/zh-hant/2016/04/%E8%91%89%E8%A9%A9%E6%96%87%E5%8F%83%E5%8A%A0%E5%85%A8%E7%BE%8E%E5%A5%B3%E5%AD%90%E8%B1%A1%E6%A3%8B%E6%AF%94%E8%B3%BD/ |access-date=December 18, 2019 |archive-date=December 19, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Taught chess moves at age six by her father, within six months she was able to beat him. Soon, she became the best eight-year-old girl chess player in the country.<ref name="lowell">{{cite news |last1=Welker |first1=Grant |title=Chelmsford's Carissa Yip is top 8-year-old female chess player in nation |url=https://www.lowellsun.com/2012/06/28/chelmsfords-carissa-yip-is-top-8-year-old-female-chess-player-in-nation/ |access-date=November 1, 2019 |work=The Sun |date=June 28, 2012}}</ref> In 2013, at the age of ten, she became the youngest female player to qualify for the USCF title of Expert (rating >2000) in history, and in 2015, at eleven years old, she became the youngest female national master.<ref name="smolensky"/> These records were later broken by Rachael Li.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Shahade |first1=Jennifer |date=2019-11-21 |title=Rachael Li, 9, Youngest Female US Chess Master Ever |url=https://new.uschess.org/news/rachael-li-9-youngest-female-us-chess-master-ever/ |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=US Chess}}</ref>
In June 2014, at the age of 10, she became club champion of the Wachusett Chess Club in Fitchburg, Massachusetts with a 7–0 score.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Enterprise |date=2020-12-20 |title=Wachusett Chess Club turns 60 |url=https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2020/12/20/wachusett-chess-club-turns-60/ |access-date=2023-10-18 |website=Sentinel and Enterprise |language=en-US}}</ref>
Her first victory against a grandmaster came on August 30, 2014, when she defeated Alexander Ivanov at the New England Open.<ref name="smolensky">{{cite web |last1=Smolensky |first1=Nathan |title=Carissa Yip: Milestones to Master |url=http://www.masschess.org/chess_horizons/chess-horizons-article.aspx?ch_uid=196 |work=Massachusetts Chess Association |access-date=November 1, 2019}}</ref> At ten years of age, she was the youngest female chess player ever to beat a grandmaster;<ref name="uschess">{{cite web |title=Carissa Yip |url=https://uschesschamps.com/bio/carissa-yip-1 |website=US Chess Champs |access-date=November 1, 2019}}</ref><ref name=":0"/> this record was surpassed by Bodhana Sivanandan in August 2025.<ref name="auto1"/>
===International Master=== Yip competed in the U.S. Women's Chess Championship for the first time in 2016; she finished 9th out of 12, scoring 4½ points out of 11.<ref name="usw2016">{{cite web |title=2016 U.S. Women's Championship |url=https://uschesschamps.com/tags/2016-us-womens-championship |website=US Chess Champs |access-date=June 18, 2021 |archive-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128130140/https://uschesschamps.com/tags/2016-us-womens-championship |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2017, she scored 4/11, finishing 11th.<ref name="usw2017">{{cite web |title=2017 U.S. Women's Championship |url=https://uschesschamps.com/tags/2017-us-womens-championship |website=US Chess Champs |access-date=June 18, 2021 |archive-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128130134/https://uschesschamps.com/tags/2017-us-womens-championship |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2019, she finished 8th, with a score of 4½/11.<ref name="usw2019">{{cite web |title=2019 U.S. Women's Championship |url=https://uschesschamps.com/tags/2019-us-womens-championship |website=US Chess Champs |access-date=June 18, 2021 |archive-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128151048/https://www.uschesschamps.com/tags/2019-us-womens-championship |url-status=dead }}</ref> In June 2018, Yip earned her final Woman International Master (WIM) norm, first Woman Grandmaster (WGM) norm, and first International Maste<nowiki/>r (IM) norm by winning clear first place in the Charlotte Chess Center's Summer 2018 IM Norm Invitational held in Charlotte, North Carolina with an undefeated score of 7/9.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://chess.stream/Invitational/Summer-2018-GM-IM-Norm-Invitational/TournamentPairings?SectionID=2093|title=CCC GM/IM Norm Invitational – Summer 2022 GM/IM Norm Invitational Chess Tournament|website=chess.stream}}</ref> In July 2018, she became the 2018 U.S. Junior Girls' Champion with a score of 7/9, as well as the 2018 World Open Women's Champion.<ref>{{Cite web |last=vwest |date=2018-07-05 |title=World Open: Yip and Norovsambuu Win Women's Open; Kovalyov Is Action Champion |url=https://new.uschess.org/news/world-open-yip-norovsambuu-win-womens-open-kovalyov-action-champion |access-date=2022-01-02 |website=US Chess.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-07-23 |title=Awonder Liang and Carissa Yip are the 2018 U.S. Junior Champions |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/us-juniors-2018-final |access-date=2022-01-02 |website=Chess News |language=en}}</ref> In late June 2019, she won the North American Junior Girls' Championship, held in Charlotte, North Carolina, with a score of 8½/9, earning the FIDE title of Woman Grandmaster<ref name="wgm">{{cite web |title=Carissa Yip Wins U.S. Junior Girls, Becomes Grandmaster! |url=https://www.chesskid.com/article/view/carissa-yip-wins-us-junior-girls-makes-wgm |website=ChessKid |access-date=November 1, 2019}}</ref> in the process. She subsequently scored 7½/9 to win the 2019 U.S. Junior Girls' Championship, earning an invitation to the 2020 U.S. Women's Championship.<ref name="wgm" /> In 2020, Yip repeated as U.S. Junior Girls' Champion, again with a 7½/9 score, and placed second in the U.S. Women's Chess Championship with a score of 8/11, a ½-point behind Irina Krush. In 2023, Yip finished tied for third place in U.S. Junior Girls' Championship.<ref>{{cite web |last1=US Chess |title=Round Nine: Mishra Joins Lee and Khachiyan as U.S. Champion |url=https://new.uschess.org/news/round-nine-mishra-joins-lee-and-khachiyan-us-champion|website=US Chess |access-date=4 October 2023 |date=25 July 2023}}</ref>
Her performance at the 2019 SPICE Cup, where she scored 5/9, made her the youngest American female player to earn the title of International Master, at the age of 16 years, one month, and 18 days old. The previous such youngest was Irina Krush.<ref name="klein">{{cite web |last1=Klein |first1=Mike |title=Yip Becomes Youngest American Female IM Ever |url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/carissa-yip-youngest-im-chess |website=Chess.com |date=October 30, 2019 |access-date=November 1, 2019}}</ref> FIDE awarded Yip the title in February 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Titles approved by 2020 Executive Board in Abu Dhabi, UAE |url=https://www.fide.com/news/412 |access-date=2020-07-02 |website=FIDE}}</ref> Yip’s record was broken by Alice Lee in 2023.<ref name="auto"/>
Yip was chosen for the Frank P. Samford, Jr. Chess Fellowship in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.<ref>{{cite web |last1=US Chess |title=2023 Samford Fellowship Winners Announced |url=https://new.uschess.org/news/2023-samford-fellowship-winners-announced |website=US Chess |access-date=15 June 2023 |date=31 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://new.uschess.org/news/2024-samford-fellowship-winners-announced|title=2024 Samford Fellowship Winners Announced|first=J. J.|last=Lang|date=June 12, 2024|website=US Chess.org}}</ref>
In 2021, Yip competed at the FIDE Women's World Cup, a 103-player single-elimination tournament that took place in Sochi, Russia. She was seeded 28th coming into the tournament and defeated players Sharmin Sultana Shirin and Nataliya Buksa before being eliminated by Nana Dzagnidze in Round 3.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tournament tree — FIDE World Cup 2021 |url=https://worldcup-results.fide.com/results |access-date=2021-08-21 |website=worldcup-results.fide.com |archive-date=August 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812195433/https://worldcup-results.fide.com/results |url-status=dead }}</ref> Yip won the 2021 U.S. Women's Championship in St. Louis, scoring 8½/11—1½ points ahead of second place—and defeated four former Women's champions in the tournament, those four being Irina Krush, Anna Zatonskih, Nazí Paikidze, and Sabina Foisor.<ref name="us-chess-champion">{{cite web |last1=Jerauld |first1=Brian |title=Wesley So, Carissa Yip are 2021 US Chess National Champions |url=https://new.uschess.org/news/wesley-so-carissa-yip-are-2021-us-chess-national-champions |website=US Chess.org |access-date=7 November 2021 |language=en |date=21 October 2021}}</ref> This made her the first woman to defeat four former U.S. Women’s champions in a U.S. Women's Championship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/now/asian-americans-dominate-2021-us-185528513.html|title=Asian Americans dominate 2021 US Chess Championships, Wesley So joins Bobby Fischer in successive-win club|website=www.yahoo.com|date=October 21, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.14news.com/prnewswire/2021/10/20/2021-us-chess-champions-teenage-talent-yip-wins-us-womens-championship-while-vran-so-claims-third-us-championship-title/|title=2021 U.S. Chess Champions: Teenage Talent Yip Wins U.S. Women's Championship While Veteran So Claims Third U.S. Championship Title|date=October 20, 2021 }}</ref>
In 2022 Carissa Yip was a member of the U.S. women's team at the 44th Chess Olympiad;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://new.uschess.org/news/2022-us-olympiad-teams-revealed|access-date=2022-07-02|website=new.uschess.org/|title=2022 U.S. Olympiad Teams Revealed|archive-date=2022-06-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628064612/https://new.uschess.org/news/2022-us-olympiad-teams-revealed|url-status=dead}}</ref> the team finished as fourth.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com – 44th Chess Olympiad 2022 Women |url=https://chess-results.com/tnr653632.aspx?lan=1 |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=chess-results.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230105114020/https://chess-results.com/tnr653632.aspx?lan=1|archive-date=2023-01-05}}</ref>
===2023–2025=== In 2023, she qualified for the FIDE Women's World Cup and won her first-round match, but was eliminated in the second round.<ref>{{cite web |last1=US Chess |title=Women's World Cup: Krush, Yip Bow Out of Baku |url=https://new.uschess.org/news/womens-world-cup-krush-yip-bow-out-baku |website=US Chess |access-date=4 October 2023 |date=11 August 2023}}</ref> Also in 2023, Yip won the silver medal in the FIDE World Junior Girls Championship.<ref>{{cite web |last1=US Chess |title=Comebacks Come Up Short for Yip, Niemann at World Junior Championships |url=https://new.uschess.org/news/comebacks-come-short-yip-niemann-world-junior-championships |website=US Chess |access-date=4 October 2023 |date=2 October 2023}}</ref> On October 17, 2023, Yip won the U.S. Women's Championship with a score of 8.5/11.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Colodro |first=Carlos Alberto |date=2023-10-19 |title=Carissa Yip grabs second U.S. women's title after dramatic final round |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/us-championships-2023-r11 |access-date=2023-11-23 |website=Chess News |language=en}}</ref> In December 2023, Yip won the Junior Open at the North American Junior Championships, and received her first grandmaster norm due to her performance there.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://new.uschess.org/news/yip-wins-north-american-junior-u20-championship-earns-gm-norm#:~:text=In%20the%20Junior%20Open%2C%20IM,IM%20norm%20along%20the%20way | title=Yip Wins North American Junior U20 Championship, Earns GM Norm | author=J.J. Lang | website=new.uschess.org | access-date=2024-08-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/jan/2/ringing-in-new-year-with-some-nice-chess-wins-from/|title=Ringing in the new year with some nice chess wins from the old – Washington Times|website=The Washington Times }}</ref>
In 2024, she won the individual gold and the team bronze playing on Board 2 at the women's event at the 45th Chess Olympiad.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Burtasova |first=Anna |date=2024-09-22 |title=Triumphant moments: Celebrating the winners of 45th Chess Olympiad {{!}} News |url=https://chessolympiad2024.fide.com/news/news/triumphant-moments-celebrating-the-winners-of-45th-chess-olympiad-1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923111003/https://chessolympiad2024.fide.com/news/news/triumphant-moments-celebrating-the-winners-of-45th-chess-olympiad-1 |archive-date=2024-09-23 |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=45th FIDE Chess Olympiad Budapest 2024 |language=en}}</ref> Yip had the highest individual score in the tournament of 10 out of 11 with a performance rating of 2634.<ref name="best-women">{{cite web|url=https://chess-results.com/tnr967172.aspx?lan=1&art=21&flag=30 |title=45th Olympiad Budapest 2024 Women – Board-prizes (Final Ranking after 11 Rounds) |publisher=Chess-results.com}}</ref> Also in 2024, she won her third US Women's Championship, winning her first 8 games and inviting comparisons to Bobby Fischer's legendary 11–0 performance in 1964.<ref>Chess.com, [https://www.chess.com/news/view/2024-us-championship-round-8 Yip Scores 8th Straight Win, 3 Away From Fischer's Record], October 22, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2025.</ref><ref>Chess.com, [https://www.chess.com/news/view/2024-us-championship-round-10 Yip Wins Women's Championship With Round To Spare; Caruana On Cusp Of Glory], October 23, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2025.</ref>
In June 2025, Yip overcame a poor start (1.5/4) to win the Cairns Cup, winning the next four games and drawing Alice Lee in the final round to secure her second GM norm with a performance rating of 2614.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Doggers (PeterDoggers) |first=Peter |date=2025-06-20 |title=Carissa Yip Wins 2025 Cairns Cup |url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/carissa-yip-wins-2025-cairns-cup |access-date=2025-06-20 |website=Chess.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
Yip claimed her 4th US Women's title in October 2025, becoming one of only 4 women to win 3 straight US Championships. Despite losing her first match vs. Atousa Pourkashiyan, Yip finished with a final score of 8/11, including a stretch of scoring 6.5/7 to finish out the tournament.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chess.com/events/2025-us-championships-women/games|title=Women - Live Games|website=Chess.com}}</ref> ===2026=== She won the Tata Steel Chess India 2026's Women's Blitz section by scoring 10½/18 and defeating Vantika Agrawal in the tiebreaks in early January 2026.<ref>{{cite web | title=Tata Steel Chess India, Blitz 2026 (Women>| website=Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com | url=https://s1.chess-results.com/tnr1330308.aspx?lan=1&art=1&flag=30&SNode=S0 | access-date=January 11, 2026}}</ref>
=== FIDE ratings === {{Elo chart}}
=== Notable games === {{Chess diagram | floatright | Yip vs. Krush 2016
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |rl| | | | | | |pl| |kd | | | | | | | |pd | |pd| | | | | | | |pl| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |kl| | | | | | |bd | White to move: 53.? }} Carissa Shiwen Yip vs Alexander Vladimirovich Ivanov (N.E. Open, 2014). Modern Defense: Standard Line (B06) 1-0. Ignoring a pin on the b-file, Yip earns her first win against a Grandmaster.<ref>{{cite web |title=Carissa Shiwen Yip vs Alexander Vladimirovich Ivanov |url=https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1773536 |website=Chessgames.com |access-date=November 1, 2019}}</ref>
Carissa Shiwen Yip vs Irina Krush, 2016 US Chess Championship (Women). Sicilian Defense: Kan. Yip defeats a six-time US Women's Champion. The final position contains a problem-like move.<ref>{{cite web |title=Carissa Shiwen Yip vs Irina Krush |url=https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1819997 |website=Chessgames.com |access-date=December 23, 2019}}</ref>{{efn|53.Rg5! 1-0. If Black then captures the rook, White's f-pawn cannot be stopped from queening, whereas 53...Bd5 loses the bishop and Black is left with a lost endgame against the rook.}}
==Education== Yip graduated from Phillips Academy in 2022<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wakefield |first=Judy |title=Andover's teen chess queen does it again; beats world champion from China at top tournament |url=https://www.andovertownsman.com/news/local_news/andovers-teen-chess-queen-does-it-again-beats-world-champion-from-china-at-top-tournament/article_b33e5e36-ead5-5824-b237-d4613e32401e.html |access-date=2021-11-11 |website=The Andover Townsman |date=February 27, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> and then enrolled in Stanford University.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2022/07/07/carissa-yip-woman-chess-player-special/7828795001/|title='She's a blessing to us all': 18-year-old chess prodigy is special in more ways than one|first=Toyloy Brown|last=III|website=USA TODAY|accessdate=April 19, 2025}}</ref> She is majoring in Computer Science and Math and Computational Science.<ref>Stanford University, [https://profiles.stanford.edu/carissa-yip Carissa Yip student profile]</ref>
==Television game show appearance== Yip and former chess opponent Irina Krush appeared on a special primetime episode of ''The Price Is Right'' that aired on January 18, 2023. Yip never got out of Contestant's Row while Krush won the Clock Game but failed to advance to the Showcases.<ref>{{Cite web |title=57SP |url=https://tpirepguide.com/?p=20067 |access-date=2023-12-03 |website=The Price is Right Episode Guide}}</ref>
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{FIDE|name=Carissa Yip}} * {{USCF|name=Carissa Shiwen Yip}} * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxTFuH6qQpQ&t=74s Carissa Yip Wins US Girls' Junior Championship] at YouTube * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzFwhcqNu8M&t=189s Carissa Yip Defeats Women's World Champion] at YouTube
{{S-start}} {{S-ach|achievements}} {{Succession box | before = Irina Krush | title = U.S. Women's Chess Champion | years = 2021 | after = Jennifer Yu }}
{{s-bef| before=Jennifer Yu}} {{s-ttl | title = U.S. Women's Chess Champion | years = 2023 }} {{s-inc}}
{{S-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yip, Carissa}} Category:2003 births Category:Living people Category:American female chess players Category:American people of Hong Kong descent Category:Sportspeople of Hong Kong descent Category:Chess International Masters Category:Chess Woman Grandmasters Category:Chess players from Boston Category:Stanford University alumni Category:Chess Olympiad competitors Category:21st-century American sportswomen Category:American people of Chinese descent Category:Sportspeople of Chinese descent Category:21st-century American chess players