GM Leinier Dominguez Perez

Leinier Dominguez Perez is a Cuban-American grandmaster who has been a top-10 player in the world and usually sits in the top 15. Born in Havana in 1983, he earned his GM title in 2001, won his first of five Cuban Chess Championships in 2002, and reached a 2700 rating in 2008. Dominguez was also Cuban champion in 2003, 2006, 2012, and 2016. In 2008, he won the World Blitz Championship by half a point over GM Vassily Ivanchuk that solidified his status as a top player at any time control; Dominguez has also ranked as high as third on FIDE's rapid rating list.

In 2018, Dominguez changed federations from Cuba to the United States and instantly became a top-five American player. That same year he was a second to GM Fabiano Caruana in the world championship match.