Kamran Shirazi
Encyclopedia
Kamran Shirazi is an International Master of chess
. Born in Tehran, he has represented Iran
, the United States
, and France
. He moved to the United States in the late 1970s and quickly became one of the most active players in the country, winning many tournaments, including the Southern California Open (five times), the World Open (tied for first in 1983), the National Open (tied for first in 1985), and the Memorial Day Classic (tied for first in 1986).
He was known for playing strange and unorthodox openings
. Shirazi's rating
rose rapidly and he became one of the highest rated players in the United States Chess Federation
. However, when invited to play in the 1984 U.S. Chess Championship
, Shirazi managed only one draw from 17 games, finishing last. In that championship, Shirazi also achieved the dubious distinction of losing the shortest decisive game in the history of the U.S. Championship: his game as White against John Peters, which went 1.e4 c5 2.b4 cxb4 3.a3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.axb4?? Qe5+ 0-1.
He subsequently made an appearance in the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer
. He is introduced as "Grandmaster
Shirazi" but his actual title is International Master, awarded in 1978.
As of 2006, Shirazi had been living in France for several years. He is still an active tournament player and also gives lessons. He changed his FIDE federation from the USA to France
in 2006.
On the September 2009 FIDE list, he has an Elo rating of 2410.
Fidelity S2 computer-Shirazi, 1986 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Qg4 Qf6?! 5.Nd5! Qxf2+ 6.Kd1 Nf6 7.Qxg7 Nxd5 8.Qxh8+ Bf8 9.exd5 Qxg2 10.dxc6 d6 11.cxb7 Bg4+ 12.Ke1 Qe4+ 13.Kf2 Qf4+ 14.Nf3 Qxf3+ 15.Kg1 Rb8 16.Qxh7 d5 17.Bb5+ c6 18.Bxc6+ Kd8 19.Qh4+ Kc7 20.Qf2 Kxc6 21.c3 Bc5 22.d4 exd4 23.cxd4 Qd1+ 24.Kg2 Bh3+ 25.Kxh3 Rh8+ 26.Kg3 Rg8+ 27.Bg5 Rxg5+ 28.Kf4 Qg4+ 29.Ke3 Qxd4+ 30.Ke2 Qxf2+ 31.Kd3 Qd4+ 32.Kc2 Rg2+ 33.Kc1 Qe3+ 34.Kb1 Qd3+ 35.Kc1 Be3# 0-1
Silman
-Shirazi, Lone Pine
1979 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Qb6 4.Nc3 e6 5.O-O a6 6.Bc4 Qa5 7.Re1 b5 8.Bd5 Nge7 9.d3 Qc7 10.Bxc6 Nxc6 11.e5 Bb7 12.Bf4 f5 13.a4 b4 14.Nb1 Ne7 15.h4 h6 16.Nbd2 g5 17.Nc4 Ng6 18.Bg3 g4 19.h5 gxf3 20.hxg6 Rg8 21.Re3 Rxg6 22.Rxf3 Bxf3 23.Qxf3 Qc6 24.Qh5 Kf7 25.f3 Be7 26.Kh1 Kg7 27.Bh4 Rg5! 0-1 If 28.Bxg5 hxg5, White is helpless against the threat of 29...Rh8 trapping his queen.
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
. Born in Tehran, he has represented Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He moved to the United States in the late 1970s and quickly became one of the most active players in the country, winning many tournaments, including the Southern California Open (five times), the World Open (tied for first in 1983), the National Open (tied for first in 1985), and the Memorial Day Classic (tied for first in 1986).
He was known for playing strange and unorthodox openings
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
. Shirazi's rating
Elo rating system
The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in two-player games such as chess. It is named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-born American physics professor....
rose rapidly and he became one of the highest rated players in the United States Chess Federation
United States Chess Federation
The United States Chess Federation is a non-profit organization, the governing chess organization within the United States, and one of the federations of the FIDE. The USCF was founded in 1939 from the merger of two regional chess organizations, and grew gradually until 1972, when membership...
. However, when invited to play in the 1984 U.S. Chess Championship
U.S. Chess Championship
The U.S. Chess Championship is an invitational tournament held to determine the national chess champion of the United States. Since 1936, it has been held under the auspices of the U.S. Chess Federation. Until 1999, the event consisted of a round-robin tournament of varying size...
, Shirazi managed only one draw from 17 games, finishing last. In that championship, Shirazi also achieved the dubious distinction of losing the shortest decisive game in the history of the U.S. Championship: his game as White against John Peters, which went 1.e4 c5 2.b4 cxb4 3.a3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.axb4?? Qe5+ 0-1.
He subsequently made an appearance in the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Searching for Bobby Fischer is a 1993 film based on the life of prodigy chess player Joshua Waitzkin, played by Max Pomeranc. Adapted from the book of the same name by Joshua's father Fred, the film was written and directed by Steven Zaillian...
. He is introduced as "Grandmaster
International Grandmaster
The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....
Shirazi" but his actual title is International Master, awarded in 1978.
As of 2006, Shirazi had been living in France for several years. He is still an active tournament player and also gives lessons. He changed his FIDE federation from the USA to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 2006.
On the September 2009 FIDE list, he has an Elo rating of 2410.
Notable games
In this game, Kamran Shirazi boldly plays an extremely sharp line regarded as dubious for Black (White has won many brilliancies in this line), and beats a computer with it:Fidelity S2 computer-Shirazi, 1986 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Qg4 Qf6?! 5.Nd5! Qxf2+ 6.Kd1 Nf6 7.Qxg7 Nxd5 8.Qxh8+ Bf8 9.exd5 Qxg2 10.dxc6 d6 11.cxb7 Bg4+ 12.Ke1 Qe4+ 13.Kf2 Qf4+ 14.Nf3 Qxf3+ 15.Kg1 Rb8 16.Qxh7 d5 17.Bb5+ c6 18.Bxc6+ Kd8 19.Qh4+ Kc7 20.Qf2 Kxc6 21.c3 Bc5 22.d4 exd4 23.cxd4 Qd1+ 24.Kg2 Bh3+ 25.Kxh3 Rh8+ 26.Kg3 Rg8+ 27.Bg5 Rxg5+ 28.Kf4 Qg4+ 29.Ke3 Qxd4+ 30.Ke2 Qxf2+ 31.Kd3 Qd4+ 32.Kc2 Rg2+ 33.Kc1 Qe3+ 34.Kb1 Qd3+ 35.Kc1 Be3# 0-1
Silman
Jeremy Silman
Jeremy Silman is an American International Master of chess. He has won the US Open, the American Open, and the National Open, and was the coach of the US junior national chess team...
-Shirazi, Lone Pine
Lone Pine International
Lone Pine International was a series of chess tournaments held annually in March or April from 1971 through 1981 in Lone Pine, California. Sponsored by Louis D. Statham , millionaire engineer and inventor of medical instruments, the tournaments were formally titled the Louis D. Statham Masters...
1979 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Qb6 4.Nc3 e6 5.O-O a6 6.Bc4 Qa5 7.Re1 b5 8.Bd5 Nge7 9.d3 Qc7 10.Bxc6 Nxc6 11.e5 Bb7 12.Bf4 f5 13.a4 b4 14.Nb1 Ne7 15.h4 h6 16.Nbd2 g5 17.Nc4 Ng6 18.Bg3 g4 19.h5 gxf3 20.hxg6 Rg8 21.Re3 Rxg6 22.Rxf3 Bxf3 23.Qxf3 Qc6 24.Qh5 Kf7 25.f3 Be7 26.Kh1 Kg7 27.Bh4 Rg5! 0-1 If 28.Bxg5 hxg5, White is helpless against the threat of 29...Rh8 trapping his queen.