Kamran Shirazi

Kamran Shirazi (born 21 November 1952) is an International Master of chess. Born in Tehran, he has represented Iran, the United States, and France. He moved to the United States in the late 1970s and quickly became one of the most active players in the country, winning many tournaments, including the Southern California Open (five times), the World Open (tied for first in 1983), the National Open (tied for first in 1985), and the Memorial Day Classic (tied for first in 1986).

He was known for playing strange and unorthodox openings. Shirazi's rating rose rapidly and he became one of the highest rated players in the United States Chess Federation. However, when invited to play in the 1984 U.S. Chess Championship, Shirazi managed only one draw from 17 games, finishing last. In that championship, Shirazi also achieved the dubious distinction of losing the shortest decisive game in the history of the U.S. Championship: his game as White against John Peters, which went 1.e4 c5 2.b4 cxb4 3.a3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.axb4?? Qe5+ 0-1.

He subsequently made an appearance in the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer. He is introduced as "Grandmaster Shirazi" but his actual title is International Master, awarded in 1978.

As of 2006, Shirazi had been living in France for several years. He is still an active tournament player and also gives lessons. He changed his FIDE federation from the USA to France in 2006.

On the September 2009 FIDE list, he has an Elo rating of 2410.

...
Wikipedia