Ruifeng Li

Ruifeng Li is entering the 2015 US Junior Closed Championship as the highest rated under-14 player in the country. He became the Arkansas State Champion in 2011 at the age of 8. Later that year he was a Silver Medalist in the World Youth Chess Championships under-10 section.

His early success landed him a spot in the Young Stars program in 2012 -- an elite youth training program designed to maximize the potential of rising chess prodigies in the US, coached by Garry Kasparov. A few months later Li earned the NM title.

His FIDE rating climbed over 200 points in 2013 and by mid-2014 he earned the FM title. Li obtained his first IM norm in March 2015, as well as the senior master title. This year marks Li's first appearance in a US Junior Championship. His rating and chess aspirations have never seemed to slow down and he is hopeful to one day play in the US Chess Championship.