Youths check mates abroad
Imagine representing the United States in a major foreign competition, filled with excitement, tension, and dreams of glory. Just consider what that would feel like to a teenager or a preteen. Well, that opportunity springs up each year for a number of them. Our superstar youngsters in various age categories are selected to compete abroad in the World Youth Chess Championship. There, they meet and compete with other chess kids from all over the world.
A total of 194 invitations were sent out for this year’s U.S. team. The competition is planned for Halkidiki, Greece, from Oct. 24 to Nov. 5. Players will compete in Open or Girls’ Sections by age groupings: Under 8 (U/8), U/10, U/12, U/14, U/16 or U/18. Spectacular qualifiers
Nearly half of America’s Open Section representatives are rated Masters. There is Carissa Yip of Massachusetts, the Girls Under 12 top representative. At 11, she became the youngest American female Master. California Master Annie Wang, 12, was the previous record holder. She will be competing in the next higher section. Her fellow participant, Jennifer Yu of Virginia, is yet another Master and was the World Champion last year in Girls Under 12.
Another recognized name is that of A wonder Liang of Wisconsin, who will compete in the Open Under 12 section. Now already a “Life Master,” he became an Expert at 8 and a Master at 9, American records. He already won the Gold twice at the World Youth event. Utah resident Kayden Troff, 16, heads our Under-18 entries. He has earned the title of Grandmaster and has twice participated in the Closed U.S. “adult” Championship. Troff, our current U.S. Junior Champion, has already won Silver and Gold Medals at the World Youth.
Upstaging all of these incredible performers has been Samuel Sevian of Massachusetts. Now just 14, he already has been breaking records continuously for years. Step by step, he became the youngest Expert, Master, International Master and Grandmaster in American History. In this year’s U.S. Closed “adult” Championship, he managed to defeat World Top 10 player GM Wesley So and to draw the Cham- pion GM Hikaru Nakamura and former Champion GM Gata Kamsky.