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| Ruben Quintans (Photo courtesy of the subject) |
On June 24, 2025, Ruben Quintans, a rising talent from Georgia, became the youngest player in US Chess Federation history to cross the 2000 rating threshold, officially earning the "Expert" title at just 7 years, 2 months, and 6 days old.
This remarkable achievement broke the previous record held by GM Abhimanyu Mishra, set in 2016, by over four months. Before Mishra, the record belonged to GM Awonder Liang, another iconic name in American youth chess.
Climbing to 2010: Quintans' Rapid Rise
Ruben reached a live rating of 2010 after a strong performance at the Chess Zone’s Game of the Week event, rated as a one-game-per-week tournament. This final push followed a 47-point jump earlier in June, when he tied for second place in the U2100 section at the prestigious Carolinas Classic, hosted by the Charlotte Chess Center.
Coaching, Community & Commitment
Quintans is coached by GM Vasif Durarbayli and Tongsen Wang, head coach at Chesstopia, both renowned for mentoring young chess prodigies. Incredibly, Ruben only started playing chess 22 months ago, and he has already held the #1 spot in the world U7 rankings for six consecutive months.
From Georgia to the East Coast: A Journey of Growth
Although Ruben’s first tournament was in Georgia, his chess journey accelerated in New Jersey and Philadelphia, where his rating skyrocketed from 1000 to 1800 over the course of 2024 and early 2025. These competitive regions helped sharpen his skills and introduced him to a thriving chess community of young talent and lasting friendships.
Georgia itself is becoming a chess powerhouse in the National Invitationals, and with stars like Ruben, that trend is likely to continue.