WGMAtousa Pourkashiyan

Atousa Pourkashiyan grew up in Tehran and started chess at eight. She became world girls' under-12 champion in 2000. Her adult career included seven Iranian women's championships and the 2010 Asian Women's Championship in Subic Bay. She represented Iran at eight Olympiads between 2000 and 2014. After continuing her career in the United States, she won an individual silver medal at the 2023 Women's World Team Championship. In 2024 she became women's champion of the Americas, qualifying for the next World Cup. She studied sport science and physical education at the University of Tehran, followed by a master's in sport management. She married Hikaru Nakamura in 2023.