James Edward Tarjan (born February 22, 1952, in Pomona, California) is an American chess Grandmaster.
His best results in international tournaments include first at Subotica 1975, first at Vancouver 1976, and first equal at Vršac 1983, along with Predrag Nikolić and Georgy Agzamov.
At Pasadena 1978, which was the Zonal qualifier, he tied for second with 10.5/14, and advanced to the 1979 Riga Interzonal, part of the World Championship cycle.
He played in the U.S. Open in Orlando in August finishing with 7.0/9, half a point behind a six-way tie for first place.
He also competed in the Larry Evans Memorial in Reno, Nevada, over the Easter weekend, finishing in an 8-way tie for second.
In the 2017 Isle of Man International Masters tournament, he defeated former world champion Vladimir Kramnik in the third round.