Shaked learned the game at the age of seven, and developed his chess skills in the scholastic chess organizations of
Tucson, Arizona. As a junior, Shaked won several national scholastic championships, including the 1987 National Primary Championship, the 1990 National Elementary Championship, the 1991 National K-8 Championship, the 1992 National K-8 Championship, the 1992 U.S. Cadet (under 16) Championship, and the 1995 U.S. Junior (under 20) Championship; he also won the 1995 National Open. Shaked won the
Laura Aspis Prize in 1991 as the number-one rated American chess player under the age of 13, and that same year became the youngest ever winner of the Arizona State Championship. Shaked's victory at the 1995 US Junior Championship granted him a place in the 1996
U.S. Chess Championship. Although he was by far the youngest and lowest-rated player in the field, he surprised many by his performance, leading the tournament after eight rounds. Later in 1996, Shaked received the
Frank Samford fellowship, which allowed him the monetary resources to fully devote his time to chess. Making the most of the opportunity, Shaked obtained three grandmaster norms within five months, officially attaining the title of grandmaster; In late 1997, Shaked competed in the
FIDE World Chess Championship, winning his first round match before losing in the second round. Having entered college at the
University of Maryland, Baltimore County on a full chess scholarship in 1998, he helped lead UMBC to the 1998
Pan-American Intercollegiate Championship as his team's top-rated player. He eventually transferred to the
University of Arizona where he graduated with a degree in computer science in 2002. ==Post-chess career==