During his playing career, Kaufman became an IM in 1980 and achieved his lifelong ambition in 2008 when he became a grandmaster at the age of 68, making him one of the oldest people to be awarded the title. He was part of the winning U.S.A. team in the 2008 World Senior Team Championship which also won him an individual gold medal on board 4.
Kaufman's accomplishments also include developing his unique style based on objective evaluation. He's known for using computer assistance in analysis and game preparation which is displayed in some of his book editions such as “The Evaluation of Material Imbalances” and the “Kaufman’s New Repertoire”.
In addition to his chess activities, Kaufman has a degree in business administration from the University of Maryland and led a successful career in futures and commodities trading. Currently, he spends his time coaching chess, providing strategic advice, and teaching endgame techniques. He is a chess instructor for local schools in Maryland and also teaches chess online.