Alexander Shabalov, born on September 12, 1967, in Riga, Latvia, is an American chess grandmaster renowned for his dynamic and aggressive playing style. He earned the Grandmaster title in 1991 and has won the U.S. Chess Championship four times (1993, 2000, 2003, 2007). Additionally, Shabalov has secured or shared first place in the U.S. Open Chess Championship seven times (1993, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2015, 2016). In 2015, he was inducted into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame. Continuing his competitive success, Shabalov won the U.S. Senior Championship in 2022 and the over-50 category of the World Senior Chess Championship in 2024. Beyond his tournament achievements, he has contributed to the chess community through coaching and lectures, particularly in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he has resided since emigrating to the United States in 1992.
