Summary :

   - 4-time Georgia State Champion (2007, 2010, 2011, 2012)

   - Most decorated scholastic player in Georgia history

   - 2-time Georgia State High School Champion

   - 5-time National Scholastic Champion

   - 8-time National Scholastic Blitz Champion

   - 8-time National Scholastic Bughouse Champion

   - 2005 LPO Champion

   - 2006 Atlanta Open Champion

   - 2006 Eastern Open Co-Champion

   - Winner of dozens of other weekend swisses

One of the most talented young players in Georgia chess history is Kazim Gulamali. He first learned how to play chess at age three while watching his talented father, Mumtaz Yusuf, play in New York City, NY. He arrived in Georgia in 1994 and started playing rated chess at age seven in 1996. At that time, no one realized what the future held for this prodigy.

Kazim was first noticed when he tied for 3^rd-11^th with 6 points (5-0-2) in the K-5 Championship (out of 330 players) at the 1999 United States Chess Federation (USCF) National Elementary Scholastic Championships in Phoenix, AZ. At the same tournament, he won not only the 1999 USCF National Elementary Blitz Championship with a score of 8-0, but also the USCF 1999 National Elementary Bughouse Championship (with Stewart).

At the 1999 National K-12 Grade Championships in Louisville, KY, Kazim won the 6^th grade Championship with a 6-0 score for clear 1^st (out of 142 players!). At the same tournament, he scored 10 points to win clear 1^st (out of 76 players) as the National K-6 Blitz Champion. He also tied for 1^st (with Francisco) at 11 points for the Bughouse Championship (2^nd on tiebreaks).

He first made his mark in the State of Georgia when he tied for 2^nd place (3-way with Raissi, Johnson) at 4 points (3-0-2) behind Muhammad (but ahead of Ruiz) at the 1999 Georgia Open (at age eleven!). From 1998 to 1999, his standard rating went up 316 points from 1543 to 1859.

At the 2000 National K-12 Grade Championships in Orlando, FL, Kazim tied for 3^rd – 10^th place in the 7^th grade competition (out of 128 players) with a score of 5-1 (4-0-2). He won clear 1^st in the Grade 7-12 Blitz Championship with a score of 10½ out of 12. He won 1^st place (with Francisco) in the Bughouse Championship.

By April 01, 2001, Kazim had become the second highest rated scholastic player (behind Francisco) in Georgia with a rating of 1998.

At the 2001 Super Nationals II in Kansas City, MO, he won the K-9 Blitz Championship.

Kazim won his Expert title (3^rd Expert norm) with a 4-1 score (3-0-2) to take clear 1^st at the 2002 Atlanta Championship.

By August 01, 2002, Kazim had become the highest rated scholastic player in Georgia with a rating of 2143.

He was 2002 Georgia Open Co-Champion, tying for 1^st (seven-way) with a score of 3½ - 1½.

At the 2002 National K-12 Grade Championships in Atlanta, GA, Kazim lost in the final round to future WGM Tatev Abrahamyan to finish with 5-1 and tie for 3^rd - 8^th place (6-way) in the 9^th Grade Championship (out of 103 players). However, despite his disappointment, Kazim not only won clear 1^st in the 2002 National Blitz Scholastic Championship, but also won clear 1^st in the 2002 National Bughouse Scholastic Championship (with Stewart).

 

He won clear 1^st at the 2003 Georgia Scholastic Open Individual High School Championship with a score of 4½ - ½. Two months later, Kazim won the 2003 Closed Georgia Scholastic High School Championship outright with a score of 4½ - ½ (and qualified to play in the Denker tournament).

Kazim won clear 1^st (out of 162 players) at the 2003 National Junior High School Championship in Orlando, FL with a score of 6½ - ½. In Round 6 he defeated 2158-rated (but future GM) Fabiano Caruana. Kazim then forced perpetual check for a last-round draw to clinch a National Scholastic title! He also won the National Junior High School Bughouse Championship (with Francisco).

 

Kazim won his first four games (including Round 4 with FM Todd Andrews) to score 4-1 and to take clear 1^st at the 2003 Atlanta Chess Center Open.

At the 2003 National K-12 Grade Championships in Rosemont, IL, Kazim scored 6½ - ½ to win clear 1^st in the 10^th Grade Championship (out of 120 players). He also won the K-12 Blitz Championship with a score of 9. He won the Bughouse tournament (with Stewart), also with a score of 9.

 

Kazim scored 4-1 (3-0-2) to become the 2004 Atlanta Winter Congress Co-Champion (3-way with Stewart, Hanson) – and more importantly, to reach a 2200 rating and become a USCF National Master.

 

Kazim won clear 1^st at the 2004 Georgia Scholastic Individual High School Championship with a score of 5-0. Two months later, he won the Georgia Closed Scholastic Championship with a score of 5-0 (to represent Georgia again in the Denker tournament).

 

He won clear 1^st at the 2004 Peach State Open with a score of 4½ - ½.

 

At the 2004 National K-12 Grade Championships in Lake Buena Vista, FL, Kazim scored 6½ - ½ to win clear 1^st in the 11^th Grade Championship (out of 66 players). He then scored 11-1 (10-0-2) to tie (with Ludwig) for the K-12 Blitz Championship. Kazim (with Stewart) again won the Bughouse Championship, this time with a perfect 12-0 score.

 

He scored 4½ - ½ to win clear 1^st at the 2005 Atlanta Winter Congress.

Kazim scored 4-1 to tie for 1^st place (with FM Ardaman) in the 2005 Atlanta Championship.

 

At the 2005 Supernationals III in Nashville, TN, Kazim scored 6-1 to tie (9-way) for 1^st place in the K-12 Championship. He scored a perfect 8-0 to tie for 1^st place (with Kahn and Aradhyula) in the K-12 Blitz Championship out of 326 players). Kazim (with B. Kostrinsky) took clear 1^st in the K-12 Bughouse tournament with a perfect score.

 

Kazim scored 4-1 (3-0-2) to tie for 1^st place (with Wojtkiewicz and Pohl) in the 2005 South Carolina Open.

He scored 4-1 (3-0-2) to win clear 1^st at the 2005 Lipkin/Pfefferkorn Open in Greensboro, NC. This result put his USCF rating over 2300, and more importantly, earned him the title of USCF Life Master.

 

At the 2005 Eastern Open in Washington, DC, Kazim scored 9½ - ½ to win clear 1^st in the Blitz Championship.

Kazim scored 3½ - 1½ to tie for 1^st place (with Ray Robson) at the 2006 Atlanta Winter Congress.

 

Just before high school graduation, Kazim was finally eclipsed as the highest rated Georgia scholastic player by 10^th grader – and 2006 Georgia State Champion – Xiao Cheng. Kazim had held this top position for almost four full years.

 

Kazim tied for 1^st (five-way) at the 2006 Emory Castle Grand Prix at 4-1 with GM Serper, GM Becerra, FM Dunne, and SM Pohl.

 

At the 2006 World Open in Philadelphia, PA, Kazim scored 6-3 (out of 237 players) to gain 70 rating points. His USCF rating of 2348 placed him as the second highest rated player in Georgia behind IM Stephen Muhammad.

He also scored 8-2 (6-0-4) to win 2^nd place (three-way) in the Blitz Championship while there behind GM Hikaru Nakamura (out of 46 players).

 

Kazim scored 5½ - 3½ to win clear 4^th place (out of 10) at the 2006 Closed US Junior Championship in Dallas, TX. He had now satisfied the requirements to become a FIDE Master (FM).

 

Kazim scored 4-1 (3-0-2) to win 1^st place (with IM Muhammad) at the 2006 Atlanta Open.

 

Kazim scored 6-2 to tie for 1^st place (four-way with GM Ehlvest, GM Kudrin, and IM Caruana) at the 2006 Eastern Open in Washington, DC.

 

Kazim (now FM Kazim Gulamali) scored 4½ -½ to win clear 1^st place in the 2007 Atlanta Championship.

FM Gulamali was the 2007 Georgia State Co-Champion at 4-1 (3-0-2) with IM Stephen Muhammad.

FM Gulamali was 2010 Georgia State Co-Champion at 3½ - 1½ (2-0-3) with Richard Francesco.

FM Gulamali was 2011 Georgia State Co-Champion at 4-1 (3-0-2) again with Richard Francesco.

 

Kazim scored 6½ - 2½ to attain his highest USCF regular rating of 2464 at the 2011 U.S. Open.

 

FM Gulamali was 2012 Georgia State Co-Champion at 3½ - 1½ (2-0-3) with IM Carlos Perdomo.

 

FM Gulamali was Co-Champion (three-way with GM Kamsky and GM Erenburg) with 4½ -½ at the 2014 Kings Island Open in Cincinnati, OH.

 

Kazim still plays chess, although not as frequently now. He has developed other interests that occupy much of his time. Health issues have also been a concern. FM Kazim Gulamali is one of the most talented chess players in Georgia chess history, and certainly one of the most successful Georgia scholastic players. He won the Georgia State High School championship twice (2003, 2004). In addition to winning many tournaments, he was Georgia State Co-Champion four times (2007, 2010, 2011, and 2012). He won five National Scholastic Championships, eight National Scholastic Blitz championships, and eight National Scholastic Bughouse Championships.

 

Kazim has made significant achievements in over-the-board competition. He has bettered chess in the State of Georgia.

 

 

 

Sources:Georgia Chess News; USCF national website (uschess.org); Kazim Gulamali, personal interview.