IMAlexander Velikanov

Alexander Velikanov became interested in a computer chess game as a very young child, and his father taught him alongside his older brother. He began tournament play at five and shared the 2003 U.S. kindergarten championship. Coach Ashish Vaja helped him progress through his junior years, while his father prepared tactical exercises for him. He represented the United States at the 2008 World Youth Championship in Vietnam.

Velikanov won the North American under-sixteen championship in 2013, earning an international-master norm. He represented Wisconsin at the Denker Tournament of High School Champions in 2013, 2015 and 2016, winning it outright in 2015 with five points from six games. The victory brought an Erik Patchell college scholarship and helped Wisconsin share state-team honours. He completed his third IM norm at a Charlotte invitational in 2016; FIDE's title record dates the formal IM title to 2023.

He later studied at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and taught through Mid-South Chess. His coaching emphasises tactical training and understanding the ideas behind openings.