Tal Shaked is an American chess player and became a Grandmaster in 1997. He was born in New York City on 6 August 1978 but relocated to Arizona when he was 12. Shaked showed promise at chess from a young age, winning the United States Cadet Championship when he was just 11 years old. He went to Catalina Foothills High School and the University of Arizona for college.
Shaked rapidly progressed, eventually winning the United States Junior Chess Championship in 1995 and again in 1997. He received invitations to play in the U.S. Chess Championship due to these victories. In 1997, he won the World Junior Chess Championship, a notable achievement that led to his title of Grandmaster.