Joel Benjamin is an American chess grandmaster and author born on March 11, 1964, in Brooklyn, New York. He began his chess career at a young age, winning the National Elementary Championship at age 10. Benjamin became an International Master at 15, United States Junior Champion three times, and a United States Chess Champion in 1987. In 1998 and 2012, he won another U.S Championship.
Joel Benjamin learned to play chess at the age of 8 and gained national attention two years after. At age 13, he broke Bobby Fischer's record of being the youngest-ever United States master. In 1982, he earned the title of International Master. In 1986 and 1988, he received a BA in History from Yale University. He also became a Grandmaster in 1986.
In his career, Benjamin has defeated seven players who were world champions at some time. He was also the coach of the US Olympiad team that won gold in 1996. He additionally participated in the development of the IBM chess computer Deep Blue that famously defeated Garry Kasparov in 1997.
Benjamin is also an author who has written numerous articles and books on chess. He has been a commentator on the Internet Chess Club, providing a grandmaster's insights and analysis.