Daniel Fernandez is a Peruvian-American chess grandmaster.

Early life

Fernandez was born in Peru in 1985. His family moved to Fort Lauderdale in 1986.

Chess career

Fernandez began learning chess at age 6, and began competing in chess tournaments in the following year. He was coached by

Larry Kaufman Lawrence Charles Kaufman (born November 15, 1947) is an American chess and shōgi player. In chess, he was awarded the title Grandmaster by FIDE for winning the 2008 World Seniors Championship (which he later retroactively shared with Mihai Su ...

, and surpassed his older brother David, who was also competing in scholastic events. Kaufman stated that Fernandez was one of his students who earned the

International Master FIDE titles are awarded by the international chess governing body FIDE (''Fédération Internationale des Échecs'') for outstanding performance. The highest such title is Grandmaster (GM). Titles generally require a combination of Elo rating and ...

title. At age 11, Fernandez was the youngest

National Master A chess title is a title regulated by a chess governing body and bestowed upon players based on their performance and rank. Such titles are usually granted for life. The international chess governing body FIDE grants several titles, the most pre ...

in the United States. He began coaching students in Houston after becoming the youngest winner of the Florida State Championship at age 16. In 2009, he became the Texas State Champion. In January 2022, his Grandmaster title was finalized. Fernandez was a member of the University of Texas at Brownsville's chess team, where he studied economics and finance. In 2008, he suggested for program director Russell Harwood to give

Axel Bachmann Axel Bachmann Schiavo (born 4 November 1989) is a Paraguayan chess player who holds the Grandmaster title. Biography Bachmann went to study to the University of Texas at Brownsville on a chess scholarship due to a recommendation by Peruvian ...

(then an International Master) a scholarship and a move to the United States.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandez, Daniel Living people 1985 births American chess players Peruvian chess players Chess grandmasters Sportspeople from Lima Peruvian emigrants to the United States 21st-century Peruvian people University of Texas alumni