Brandon Jacobson (born November 14, 2003) is an American chess player who received the FIDE title of Grandmaster in 2020 at the age of 16.
[3] Brandon's older brother Aaron Jacobson holds the title of International Master.
[6] In May 2024, Jacobson gained notoriety by playing a dubious opening (1.a4 and 2.Ra3 as White and 1...a5 and 2...Ra6 as Black) during a match against Daniel Naroditsky, defeating him (+37, -26, =6).
Jacobson's chess.com account (named "Viih_Sou") was later banned for cheating, though former World Champion Magnus Carlsen would later use the opening in all blitz games of the subsequent Early Titled Tuesday.
[7] In December 2024, Jacobson again used the dubious opening 1.a4 (though without playing 2.Ra3), this time against Hikaru Nakamura in the World Rapid Chess Championship 2024, winning the game in 47 moves.