Chessboss

Yury Shulman is an international grandmaster in chess, originally from what is now Belarus. He currently lives in the United States and, since moving to this country, has been one of the top American players. In 2001, he co-won the World Open, and in 2002 co-won the American Open. He won the US Open Chess championship in 2006 and, in 2008, won the US Chess Championship. As of the April 2009 ratings list, he had a FIDE rating of 2632.

In addition to all of his chess accolades, Yury Shulman also has a number of organizations based in the Chicago area with altruistic purposes. His most prominent organization is the non-profit Chess Without Borders that works to raise money for good causes using chess. He has held book drives for the Chicago area, contributed funds from his chess camps and tournament winnings to charities all over the world, and taken on special cases, including raising money to provide plastic surgery for a young girl in India living with severe burns. This organization is currently in the running for the 2009 Chicago Innovation Award. Besides this, he runs the International Chess School which has similar purposes, using chess as a vehicle to raise funds for philanthropic causes. Shulman currently teaches chess to children at all of the schools in town, and offers classes at his home. Clearly his priorities involve helping the chess community worldwide, and urging the chess community to use its skills to help the world at large.