Vincent Keymer: Another sign that the sky is the limit for chess prodigy

Still just 16, Vincent Keymer has officially arrived on the elite international chess scene. Had there been any doubts about his potential, these evaporated as he finished second at the European Chess Championship.

For the German high school student who still has several months to go until graduation, the just-completed tournament in Reykjavik marked another step on the ladder as his aspires to become one of the world's elite players.

With 8.5 points from 11 matches, Vincent Keymer actually finished tied on points with Russia's Anton Demchenko, however Demchenko was declared the winner on the basis of the FIDE (world chess governing body) tie-breaking criteria under the World Cup 2023 regulations.

Still, Keymer finished ahead of 30 higher-ranked professional chess players – and booked his place at the 2023 World Cup. This was also his biggest payday as the high school student left Iceland with his pockets €17,500 ($20,760) heavier.

Composure despite slow start

However, Keymer didn't get off to a promising start in Reykyavik; the teenager struggled in the first few matches and even lost in the third round with the white pieces against the Russia's Alexey Sarana. But the 16-yearold German, who always seemed to be in control, didn't let this defeat put him off his guard. As a result, he put his highclass opponents under pressure in almost every match and collected point after point.

By the time he beat the world-class Czech player David Navara in a thrilling contest, it had become clear how what fine form the young grandmaster was in.

Germany's greatest chess talent in 50 years

With this result at the European Championship, Keymer yet again confirmed that he is the greatest chess talent to come out of Germany in the past half centry. He defeated his first grandmaster at the age of 10 and achieved the title himself at 14. Two years ago he narrowly lost his first-ever match world Champion Magnus Carlsen after a drawn-out battle.

Keymer can soon expect to be facing the Norwegian champion more often, as his success in Iceland should earn him invitations to more world-class tournaments.

However, for the next few months, at least, Keymer plans to concentrate on getting ready for his school-leaving exams in spring 2022. His plans for the period following his graduation are also crystal clear.

"It is obvious to me that I will concentrate on chess for a few years," he told DW in an interview held several months ago. "I want to see how far I can go."