GMVladimir Belous

Vladimir Belous was born in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky in 1993 and developed his chess in Russia. He became an international master in 2011 and a grandmaster in 2013. In 2016 he moved to Brownsville, Texas. He won the Chicago Open that year and the U.S. Masters in 2017. An invitation from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's chess coach helped bring him into American college chess. Before enrolling, he worked on his English. In a 2019 university interview he described choosing accounting after enjoying his introductory classes. He also spoke about representing UTRGV in competition and adapting to a new culture. Outside chess and university work, he enjoyed cooking and reading, including the Game of Thrones novels.