Michael David Wilder is an American chess grandmaster, who is also a successful attorney in the United States. Wilder was born on August 17, 1962. During his early years as a chess player, he became U.S. Junior Chess Champion of 1977 and the World Junior Chess Champion of 1981.
In 1988, Wilder earned his Chess Grandmaster title and won the U.S Chess Championship. He also represented the United States in various team competitions, most notably in the 26th Chess Olympiad in 1986 where the U.S won bronze.
He was a frequent competitor at US Swiss system tournaments and contributed articles to various chess publications. He was esteemed for his general competitiveness and his King's Indian Defences.
Due to the struggles of pursuing a stable financial life solely on chess, he gradually withdrew from professional chess in the early 1990s and went to law school to become an attorney.
After passing law school, Wilder became an attorney specializing in bankruptcy law. He currently lives in New Jersey and is a partner in 'Latham & Watkins' law firm, one of the biggest law firms globally.