Full name Joshua E. Friedel Name Joshua Friedel | Title Grandmaster Country United States | |
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Born December 3, 1986 (age 37)
Goffstown, New Hampshire ( 1986-12-03 ) | ||
Hikaru Nakamura's Best Games: vs Joshua Friedel
Joshua E. Friedel is an American chess Grandmaster and was U.S. Open Champion in 2013.
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Biography
Friedel was born and raised in Goffstown, New Hampshire. He learned to play chess in 1990, at age 3. Three years later, in 1993, at age 6, he became a student under NM Hal Terrie and entered his first tournament that same year. It was an adult tournament, and thus as the lowest rated he got a first round bye and proceeded to lose the next three games. Despite his initial lack of immediate success, which is not atypical for a new tournament player, the experience inspired his enthusiasm for competition.
In 1995, at age 8, Friedel won the NH Amateur (U2000) Championship, having the lowest rating in the open section. The next year, in 1996, he won the National K-3 Championship in Tucson, Arizona. As a junior, he was often at the top of his age group, competing in the US Cadet (3 times), Junior Closed (twice), Denker, and World Youth (3) events. He won numerous New England tournaments as well as the US Open Expert Section in 2000 at age 13.
In 2001, after having reached the master level, at age 14, Friedel worked with GMs Larry Christiansen, Gregory Kaidanov, and Alex Goldin. He made IM at age 18, in 2005, and GM just before his 22nd birthday, in 2009. Thus far in his young chess career, Josh has been state champion of New Hampshire three times and twice of California. He has also won or tied for first in several open tournaments across the United States, including the Pan Am, Eastern, St. Louis, National, American, and North American Opens.
Friedel has played in six U.S. Closed Championships. At the 2008 event in Tulsa, he tied for fourth and scored his final GM norm.
Friedel has competed in numerous international events. He represented the US at the 2008 World Mind Sports Games, as well as at two Continental Championships (2009 and 2011).
In 2009, by tying for 6th at the US Championship in St. Louis, Friedel qualified to compete at the World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. In the same year, he also won the Toronto Open with a perfect 5/5 score and the Edmonton International with 7/9.
In 2013, Friedel tied for first at the 2013 Chicago Open, also with 7/9.
On August 4, 2013, at the age of 26, Friedel won the United States Open Chess Championship.
In March of 2016, Friedel won the Manchester Invitational in New Hampshire with a score of 7/10. In December of the same year, he tied for first (winning on tiebreaks) at the North American Open in Las Vegas with a score of 7/9.