| Birth date | 16 May 1988 (age 38) |
|---|---|
| Birth place | Tehran, Iran |
| Spouse | Hikaru Nakamura (m. 26 July 2023) |
| Alma mater | University of Tehran |
| Country | Iran (until 2022) United States (since 2022) |
|---|---|
| Rating | 2238 (December 2025) |
| Peakrating | 2374 (May 2011) |
| Fideid | 12502014 |
Atousa Pourkashiyan (Persian: آتوسا پورکاشیان; 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, Pourkashiyan 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]
Pourkashiyan 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.
References
- ^ "Titles approved at the 1st Quarter Presidential Board 2009". FIDE.com. Archived 12 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- ^ "Title Applications. 1st quarter Presidential Board, 5-8 March 2009, Istanbul, TUR". FIDE.com. Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Asia Continental Chess Championships 2010". Chessdom.com. Archived 4 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
- ^ "Women's Chess Olympiads: Atousa Pourkashiyan". Olimpbase.org. Archived 24 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine. 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 2025-12-18.
- ^ Svensen (TarjeiJS), Tarjei J. (2023-07-26). "Hikaru Nakamura Finds His Queen, Marries Atousa Pourkashiyan". Chess.com. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
- ^ "Iranian chess players Sara Khadem and Atousa Pourkashiyan compete in international tournament without hijab". Sky News. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
External links
- "روز هفتم: آتوسا پورکاشیان، قهرمان شطرنج نوجوانان آسيا و جهان" [Day 7: Atousa Pourkashiyan, Asian and world youth chess champion] (in Persian). BBC Persian. 11 June 2004. English translation.