Larry M. Christiansen is an American chess Grandmaster. He was born on June 27, 1956 in Riverside, California, and was the third youngest player ever to be awarded the Grandmaster title, achieving it at the age of 22. He has won the U.S. Chess Championship on three occasions, in 1980, 1983, and 2002.
Christiansen learned to play chess at the age of 9 and quickly developed his skills. By the age of 13, he was a master-level player. He attended high school in Seattle, Washington, where he was a consistent top finisher in the Washington State Championship.
Among his notable tournament victories are five wins at the World Open in Philadelphia and four at the National Open in Las Vegas. In 1981, he won the prestigious Lloyds Bank Open in London. Internationally, he has represented the United States at numerous Olympiads and World Team Championships, taking home team gold three times.
He is a renowned attacking player and was one of the most prolific contributors to the Chess Informant's selection of the best games. Christiansen has also authored several chess books and has been a chess commentator for the Internet Chess Club, where he conducts regular online lectures.
While being an active tournament player, Christiansen is also a chess coach and has worked with many promising young players. He was inducted into the United States Chess Hall of Fame in 2008.
Christiansen has continued to stay active in the chess community, participating regularly in U.S. and international competitions. He was ranked among the top 100 players in the world as recently as 2007.