GMSam Shankland

Sam Shankland grew up in California, learning chess from his father before becoming more serious about the game through his elementary-school club. He won a World Under-18 bronze medal in 2008 and the U.S. Junior Championship in 2010. He became a grandmaster the following year and upset Peter Leko at the 2011 World Cup. An individual gold medal at the 2014 Olympiad was followed by team gold with the United States in 2016. His defining national result came in 2018, when he won the U.S. Championship. He has also been supported by the Samford Fellowship, which allowed him to concentrate on his professional chess career.