Carlsen vs Karjakin Match Begins Today

Carlsen and Karjakin smile on the day before Game 1. (credit: Chess24)

The World Chess Championship 2016 begins today at 11AM Pacific time. Defending champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway faces challenger Sergey Karjakin of Russia, but born in Ukraine. The venue is the Fulton Market Building in the South Street Seaport of Manhattan, New York. This will be the first title bout featuring two players of the Computer Age. Karjakin is 26 and Carlsen turns 26 on November 30, the day of the tiebreaker, if necessary. Both grew up analyzing with computers, studying databases, and playing blitz on the internet.

When they were kids.... (credit: Chess Daily News)

The competitors are two of the three youngest Grandmasters in history. Carlsen is both the #1 rated player in the world at 2853, and holds the highest rating in history of 2882. He earned the GM title in 2004 at the tender age of 13 years, 4 months and 27 days. Carlsen was crowned world champion in 2013, vanquishing Viswanathan Anand of India. He also won a rematch in 2015. On the other hand, Karjakin became the youngest GM ever in 2002, amazingly only 12 years and 7 months old. Now he is #9 in the world at 2772, with a lifetime peak rating of 2788. He qualified for the title match by winning the strong Candidates Tournament earlier this year, outlasting the top rated American Fabiano Caruana in the final round. While Karjakin has competed against the strongest players in the world for the past decade, this will be his first shot at the chess crown.

Most experts have tabbed Carlsen as the favorite. They cite his higher rating and greater experience in title matches. His universal style has few known weaknesses, and his ability to grind out a win from a seemingly drawn endgame is second to none. Carlsen could play almost any opening imaginable, and sometimes chooses to avoid mainstream theory simply to obtain the middlegame he prefers. For someone who enjoys marathon games, he is fit as an athlete, an advantage that may be less significant against an opponent his own age.  

This is the board they will play on. The glass window
is a special mirror that spectators can see through, but
the players cannot. (credit: Dan Lucas of US Chess)

All that said, Karjakin is a dangerous challenger, a talented junior who dominated tournaments back in his youth. Over the years, he has also shown few weaknesses. Perhaps his strength lies in defending, an attribute that highlights resourcefulness and resilience. In many ways, Karjakin’s style mirrors that of the world champion. Another advantage could be in the opening, where he draws upon the accumulated knowledge of the Soviet Chess School. Never before has Karjakin received unconditional financial support of the Russian Chess Federation and the Kremlin. His team of seconds may include some of the best of the world, or at least, the former Soviet Union.  No doubt, he will be fully prepared, and probably an even stronger player than ever.

The match lasts just 12 games, short by historical standards. For example, the famous encounter between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in 1972 went 24 rounds. And the first match between Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov in 1984 was controversially aborted after 48 games over nearly five months! As a result, the subsequent four Kasparov-Karpov matches were capped at 24 games. In spite of historical precedent, 12 games became the modern standard in 2008, when Viswanathan Anand soundly defeated Vladimir Kramnik.

The World Chess Championship 2016 runs from November 11 to 30. Games are scheduled one per day starting at 11AM Pacific time, with a rest day after every two games (plus an extra day off before the final game). Carlsen has the white pieces in rounds 1, 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12. Once either player reaches 6.5 or 7.0 points, the match terminates immediately. On the other hand, if they finish tied 6 to 6, then a 4 game rapid time control tiebreaker will occur on November 30.

Carlsen won in Bilbao just 4 months ago. (credit: Chessbase)

Who will win? These two combatants have battled 21 times in classical chess, with the Norwegian scoring 4 wins against only 1 for the Russian. Karjakin’s lone win came in 2012, while Carlsen has won three straight (not counting draws), most recently this July in Bilbao, Spain. No doubt, the defending champion remains the clear favorite. My prediction is +2, which translates to Carlsen scoring 2 wins more than losses (e.g. 6.5-4.5 with 3 wins, 1 loss and 7 draws). Let the show begin!

Recommended websites:

• Official site with LIVE coverage: https://worldchess.com/nyc2016/


• Other LIVE coverage: https://www.chessclub.com/live (paid account required)


• Other LIVE coverage: https://www.chess.com/tv


• Other LIVE coverage: https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/


• LIVE Twitter: https://twitter.com/hashtag/CarlsenKarjakin?src=hash


• Preview at US Chess: https://new.uschess.org/news/the-couch-potatos-guide


• Preview at Chessbase: http://en.chessbase.com/post/what-the-experts


• Preview from AP: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/more-sports/


• Post game analysis: http://en.chessbase.com/tagged?tag=WCC2016

Bay Area Teenage Mutant Chess Masters

Future GMs: Daniel Naroditsky (white) squares off against Sam Shankland in 2007.

Over the past decade, the Bay Area has become an incubator for the development of young chess talents.  Indeed, school age masters used to be a rare breed, with no more than one or two gracing local tournaments at the same time.  This changed at the 2006 CalChess Scholastics, which saw a quartet of masters compete in the K-12 section.  Moreover, two of the experts participating that year would go on to earn the highest title in chess: Grandmaster!

Today, the roster of teenage masters has mutated.  It no longer numbers in single figures, but rather in the 20s!  Only a few states around the country can boast that many adult masters.  Some of the most talented juniors earn the NM title already at age 10 or 11.

NorCal K-12 Masters (Age and January 2016 USCF rating)

1. FM Wheeler, Cameron (15) 2436 (photo at right)
   
2. IM Viswanadha, Kesav (16) 2416
3. FM Panchanatham, Vignesh (15) 2415
4. NM Zhu, Jack Qijie (17) 2313
5. FM Taghizadeh, Rayan (13) 2312
6. NM Hong, Andrew Z (11) 2306
7. NM Banik, Siddharth G (15) 2265
8. NM Jirasek, Ladia (15) 2257
9. NM Zhao, Art (16) 2242
10. WIM Eswaran, Ashritha (15) 2238
11. NM Beilin, Allan J (16) 2231
12. NM Virtanen, Teemu (16) 2230
13. NM Klotz-Burwell, Hunter (17) 2225
14. NM Bick, Gabriel J (16) 2223
15. NM Wang, Michael (14) 2217
16. NM Nagarajan, Pranav (16) 2217
17. NM Chow, Colin (16) 2209
18. NM Apte, Neel (17) 2205
19. NM Iyengar, Udit (15) 2205
20. NM Stearman, Josiah P (12) 2203 (photo at right)
21. nm Wang, Michael Lei (16) 2196*
22. FM Vasudeva, Tanuj (14) 2186*
23. nm Liu, Daniel (18) 2159*

 * previously broke 2200, but slipped back down

In addition, several local juniors have been awarded the Candidate Master title by the World Chess Federation in recognition of excellent performance at international youth tournaments.  These young stars are well on track to become masters themselves.

• CM Senthilkumar, Pranav (13) 1975
• CM Bayaraa, Chinguun (10) 1889 (photo at right)
• WCM Garai, Antara (11) 1821
• WCM Zhao, Chenyi (12) 1775
• CM Nachiappan, Aghilan (8) 1743
• WCM Eswaran, Aksithi (9) 1709

Make sure to check out the NorCal Top 20 Juniors at my chess teaching website.
Photo credit: Richard Shorman at ChessDryad.

Sam Sevian Plays in Armenia

Sevian begins his game against Petrosyan. (Photo: Armen Sevian)

What has former Bay Area resident GM Sam Sevian been up to lately?  Readers of my blog may have noticed that he declined to participate in the US Junior Closed.  Apparently, America's youngest Grandmaster ever has bigger fish to fry these days.

Instead of Saint Louis, Sam chose to play in a category XV (average of 2618) invitational at Lake Sevan in Armenia.  The 10 players include 5 of the top 20 juniors in the world: Vladislav Artemiev (2660, RUS), Jan Krzysztof Duda (2632, POL), David Anton Guijarro (2632, ESP), Hovhannes Gabuzyan (2611, ARM) and Sam Sevian (2578, USA).  The older half of the field hopes experience will overcome youthful enthusiasm.  Incidentally, one name jumps out: Tigran Petrosyan may be strong at 2630, but he is not the 9th World Champion by the same name!

Lake Sevan International

• Pairings and Results
• Live Games

Popular Chess Video Passes Milestone

This hilarious chess video comes from the US Chess School in December 2010.  The precocious lad was, at that time, the youngest chess master in the country at 10 years old.  He destroys overconfident teacher IM Greg Shahade in both the blitz game and the kibitzing, all the while sipping 7-Up.  The video resurfaced in the summer of 2013 on the Top 50 rankings at Reddit.com.  Today, four years after upload, it surpassed one million views on YouTube!

Whether you have seen it before or not, this video is definitely worth another look.    

Starting tomorrow, Sam Sevian, now a full-fledged Grandmaster, participates in the prestigious Tata Steel Tournament at Wijk aan Zee (Netherlands).  Many can remember him from Bay Area events as an 8 or 9 year old, already a dangerous opponent.  He certainly has come a long way, and his future appears very bright!

New Kid on the Block: GM Parimarjan Negi

The Bay Area has landed a new chess prodigy!  Indeed, this kid earned the Grandmaster title at the tender age of 13 years, 4 months and 22 days. He stands today as the second youngest GM in history, beating Magnus Carlsen by less than a week and the Chinese phenom Wei Yi by four months.  (Only Sergey Karjakin was younger.)  Last month, the grown-up prodigy led his native India to a surprising bronze medal at the Chess Olympiad in Norway.  Playing board 1, he scored 6.5 out of 10 against some of the best players in the world, drawing with Levon Aronian and losing just once to Fabiano Caruana.  This week, he resumes his studies away from the chess board, as a freshman at Stanford University.

Who is it?  Meet GM Parimarjan Negi, rated 2750 USCF and 2669 FIDE (#79 in the world).  Click here for his personal website.  New In Chess magazine interviewed Negi for the latest issue, and Chessbase website reprinted the single page article here (with permission).  Check out the latest chess player at the Farm!

GM Negi is registered as the top seed at the National G/60 and G/30 Championships this weekend in Santa Clara.  Can anyone stop him?  

The game below, a crushing win against the Berlin defense at the recent Olympiad, was cited by Negi as his "best game."  In the final position, White threatens to sacrifice his Queen on h7 for a simple checkmate with two rooks.

Sam Sevian Chases GM Title

Sevian at Bay Area International in January.

Now a fully fledged International Master, 13 year old Sam Sevian aspires to the highest title in chess: Grandmaster.  If he completes the requirements before December 2015, he would break the record for the youngest American GM, currently held by Ray Robson at 14 years and 351 days old.  After earning his first GM norm for a 2nd place result at Foxwoods Open in January, Sam appears well on track to shatter the record.

The following article about Sam's quest appeared in the Boston Globe on March 30.

---

In many ways, Sam Sevian resembles a typical American teenager. Just a touch stocky, with a mop of brown hair, a round face, and wire-framed glasses, he’s slightly awkward, especially around adults he doesn’t know that well. He likes to watch sports, specifically the NHL and the NBA — he roots for the Bruins and the Golden State Warriors. And he does his best to avoid household chores, having recently managed to wriggle his way out of one particular task. ("He was supposed to do vacuuming," says Armine Sevian, Sam’s mother. "It was very ... not good," she says with a laugh.)

Sam Sevian receives the U12 gold medal from
Kasparov at the 2012 World Youth in Slovenia.

What makes Sam Sevian different from his peers is that he can play chess better than any other 13-year-old in American history. Last November, a month before his birthday, the Southbridge resident earned the title of International Master. He’s the youngest American player ever to attain that second-highest ranking in chess, besting the mark set in 2008 by Ray Robson, then 13. Bobby Fischer, the gold standard of American chess, didn’t reach the International Master level until he was nearly 15. ...

"We’ve been watching him for two and a half years," Garry Kasparov writes of Sam via e-mail. "He’s a very hard-worker and has all the talent needed to become a top player as he matures and gets his emotions under control."

Read the full article at this link.

Naroditsky Wins the Samford Award

The gaze of a Grandmaster!

Bay Area Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky was awarded the prestigious Samford Chess Fellowship for 2014. Each year, the Samford recognizes a talented young master who has both the potential and work ethic to represent this country at the highest levels of international chess. The award includes a generous stipend of $42,000 for one year, which may be renewed for a second year.  In the words of IM John Donaldson, this prize gives "brilliant young American Grandmasters the support and resources necessary to enhance their skills and reach their full potential."

Last summer, Danya dominated the US Junior Championship and, a few weeks later, completed the requirements for the Grandmaster title. Indeed, his summer vacation in Europe proved quite successful, and he netted 45 rating points in three tournaments.  Now 18 years old and rated 2543 FIDE, he finds himself among the top 25 of the country and one of the top 25 juniors in the world. Not just a terrific player, he wrote two well-acclaimed chess books and is working on a third. Make sure to visit his website for more details.

Naroditsky becomes the fourth Bay Area star to earn this recognition in the last decade, joining IM David Pruess (2006), GM Vinay Bhat (2008) and GM Sam Shankland (2013).  Fellow GM Josh Friedel lived here when he won in 2007.  Two additional honorees, GM Patrick Wolff (1989) and GM Tal Shaked (1996), currently work locally, although they have retired from over-the-board competition.

Congratulations Danya!  Good luck at the 2014 US Championship in May.  No doubt, you have many fans in California cheering you on to 2600 and beyond.

Big Names at SF International

GM Wei Yi

GM Ipatov

The start of a new calendar year brings fresh opportunities for the talented young stars of the Bay Area chess community.  The San Francisco International brings foreign titled players to Santa Clara for the kind of tournament more often seen in Europe than in America.  Over 70 competitors representing 15 different countries will cross swords over seven days.  Many aspire to earn one of the precious norms required for the highest titles in chess: Grandmaster and International Master.

Leading the field are 14 Grandmasters, 20 International Masters and 4 ladies holding the corresponding women's titles.  The five top seeds, rated over 2600 FIDE, include 2012 World Junior Champion Alexander Ipatov of Turkey, the current youngest Grandmaster on the planet, 14 year old Wei Yi of China, and the Berkeley Chess School talent Sam Shankland.  Sam won the 2012 edition of this event.

The one, the only, GM Shanky

Among the leading norm contenders are IM Wang Chen of China and IM Joshua Ruiz of Colombia, both strong finishers at the North American Open last week in Las Vegas.  Certainly don't count out the American juniors participating, including seven masters under age 18 representing the Bay Area.  Youth will be served!

• Official Website (pairings and standings)
• Download Games
• Photo Album (Facebook)
• Dana Mackenzie's Blog (first-hand insights)

This event would not be possible without the organizational genius of Berkeley Mathematics Professor Arun Sharma and Technology Guru Salman Azhar, founder of Bay Area Chess.  Why else would so many young Grandmasters from Turkey, China, Canada and Hungary mysteriously wander to Silicon Valley for chess?

For those readers wondering where I am?  I'm at home wishing I could play.  Alas, the week-long schedule proves too much for me and my longstanding health problems.  Instead, I will prepare myself for the Golden State Open in Concord, just two weeks away.  Yes, I registered already.

16th World Champion Magnus Carlsen

Magnus the Champ!  (photo from Chessbase)

Once the subject of a book titled Wonderboy, the Norwegian superstar Magnus Carlsen has reached the pinnacle of chess.  He played in his first tournament at age 8, became Grandmaster at 13, earned the #1 rating in the world at 19, and finally claimed the World Championship one week before his 23rd birthday!

In a match watched around the globe, Carlsen defeated the Indian national hero Viswanathan Anand, nearly twice his age, with a dominant performance.  The final score was 6.5 to 3.5.   Already the youngest to reach #1 and the third youngest Grandmaster in history, Carlsen now stands as the second youngest champion, barely older than his former trainer Garry Kasparov.

The following list includes all of the classical World Champions, following the lineage of Kasparov after he broke away from FIDE in 1993. Vladimir Kramnik vanquished Kasparov in 2000 and reunified the chess championship in 2006.

1. Wilhelm Steinitz 1886-1894
2. Emanuel Lasker 1894-1921
3. José Raúl Capablanca 1921-1927
4. Alexander Alekhine 1927-1935 and 1937-1946
5. Max Euwe 1935-1937
6. Mikhail Botvinnik 1948-1957, 1958-1960 and 1961-1963
7. Vasily Smyslov 1957-1958
8. Mikhail Tal 1960-1961
9. Tigran Petrosian 1963-1969
10. Boris Spassky 1969-1972
11. Bobby Fischer 1972-1975
12. Anatoly Karpov 1975-1985
13. Garry Kasparov 1985-2000
14. Vladimir Kramnik 2000-2006
15. Viswanathan Anand 2006-2013
16. Magnus Carlsen 2013-

Make sure to check out this Time magazine article written by Kasparov himself.

Daniel Naroditsky Earns GM Title

2006

2013

For the young chess wizard Daniel Naroditsky, the journey to the Grandmaster title reads much like an epic poem by Homer.  Sharing a birthday with the great Mikhail Tal, the precocious Danya seemed destined to reach the highest level of international chess. His passport quickly filled with stamps from tournaments all around the world:  Ecuador, France, Georgia (the country) and Vietnam to name a few.

Learning from the champ himself: Garry Kasparov

My first recollection of the short Russian-American boy who needed a booster chair just to see the board dates back to the 2005 Far West Open in Reno.  Only 9 years old, Daniel dominated the B section with 5.5 out of 6, yielding a draw to my close friend, who finished in second place.  He captured the CalChess High School Championship at age 11, holding a draw against top seed and future GM Sam Shankland in the final round.  For an encore, he took on the World, winning the 2007 World Youth U12 in Turkey.  The climax saw Danya victorious as black against another future GM, with his California fans watching online in the middle of the night.

Daniel with fellow master Steven Zierk,
co-champs at 2008 CalChess Scholastics

As Daniel became more skilled, his aspirations shifted to international tournaments and norms.  He earned the titles of USCF National Master and FIDE Master during the final months of 2007.  The next giant leap came at the 2009 Western Chess Congress in Concord, where he finished clear first ahead of an octet of International Masters.  Not just a tournament player, Daniel undertook the monumental task of writing and editing a book on Mastering Positional Chess (published in March 2010).  The youngest chess author in the World finally scored three IM norms from July 2010 to January 2011, securing the coveted title on home turf at the 2011 Berkeley International.

The Grandmaster title would take another 2.5 years.  Danya quickly picked up the first GM norm at the 2011 Villa de Benasque Open in Spain, maintaining an undefeated record against six hungry Grandmasters, including three of the top five seeds.  However, the second GM norm proved more elusive.  Although most teenagers rest their tired brains during Spring Break, the energetic young master flew across country to share top honors at the 2013 Philadelphia Open, a feat worthy of another norm.  Three months later, Danya tempted fate at the 2013 Villa de Benasque Open, hoping for lightning to strike twice.  Thanks to another undefeated performance versus Grandmasters, it did!  Watch how the youthful author of Mastering Complex Endgames (published in January 2013) converts a middlegame edge into a winning minor piece endgame.

Congratulations to GM-elect Daniel Naroditsky!  As a friend, former coach and fan of the royal game, it has been an honor watching this young star shine over the years.  Indeed, his love for chess radiates warmly into anyone in his company for even a short while.  Here's wishing all the best for the remainder of the summer and a final year of high school!

Make sure to check out Daniel's personal website at http://danielnaroditskychess.com

For most enthusiastic chess players, winning the US Junior Invitational and subsequently completing the final GM norm would suffice for a successful summer of chess.  Not Daniel!  He started another tournament in Spain, the Cuitat de Balaguer Open, and already won the first three rounds.  And before returning to the Bay Area, the frequent flyer travels to Riga, the capital of Latvia, for one more event.  Gooood luck!

Youngest Grandmasters in History

Sergey Karjakin

"Nowadays, if you're not a Grandmaster at 14, you can forget it."  -- World Champion Anand

When Vishy Anand spoke these fateful words, he referred to future contenders for the world title.  For dramatic effect, people freely cite this quote out of context.  And why not?  The number of precocious Grandmasters blossomed in the 21st century.  I still remember when Peter Leko turned heads in 1994 as the first 14 year old GM.  Thirteen have since surpassed the veteran Hungarian's old mark.

Amazingly, the record set by Sergey Karjakin more than a decade ago has not been seriously threatened.  He became the world's first preteen Grandmaster, and to date, he remains the only one!  Merely two managed to come within a year of this amazing mark.  And one of these former prodigies, Magnus Carlsen, has earned the right to challenge Anand for the world championship.  A victory in November by the Norwegian wonderboy would signal the changing of the guard to a new generation of young stars.

The 13-year old Chinese superstar Wei Yi currently holds the distinction as world's youngest Grandmaster, earning his final norm in February.  Who will be the next 13 or 14 year old GM?  Could it be an American?  And when will Karjakin's mark fall?

Progression of Youngest GM Record

• 1958 Bobby Fischer (USA) @ 15 yr, 6 mo
• 1991 Judit Polgar (HUN) @ 15 yr, 4 mo
• 1994 Peter Leko (HUN) @ 14 yr, 4 mo
• 1997 Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR) @ 14 yr, 0 mo
• 1999 Bu Xiangzhi (CHN) @ 13 yr, 10 mo
• 2002 Sergey Karjakin (UKR) @ 12 yr, 7 mo

All-time Youngest Grandmasters
Source: Chessbase.com

1. Sergey Karjakin (UKR) @ 12 yr, 7 mo
2. Parimarjan Negi (IND) @ 13 yr, 4 mo
3. Magnus Carlsen (NOR) @ 13 yr, 4 mo
4. Wei Yi (CHN) @ 13 yr, 8 mo -- currently the youngest GM

   

   Wei Yi

5. Bu Xiangzhi (CHN) @ 13 yr, 10 mo
6. Richard Rapport (HUN) @ 13 yr, 11 mo
7. Teimour Radjabov (AZE) @ 14 yr, 0 mo
8. Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR) @ 14 yr, 0 mo
9. Wesley So (PHI) @ 14 yr, 1 mo
10. Etienne Bacrot (FRA) @ 14 yr, 2 mo

... and a few notable others ...

• Hou Yifan (CHN) 14 yr, 6 mo -- youngest girl
• Ray Robson (USA) 14 yr, 11 mo -- American record
• Fabiano Caruana (ITA) 14 yr, 11 mo
• Hikaru Nakamura (USA) 15 yr, 2 mo
• Alejandro Ramirez (CRI) 15 yr, 5 mo

GM deFirmian Returns to Bay Area

News from Chess Room Director IM John Donaldson:

The Mechanics' Chess Club welcomes Nick deFirmian as its Grandmaster-in-Residence. This will be a return home for the native Californian and UC Berkeley graduate. Grandmaster deFirmian has a long association with the Mechanics' dating back to his days as an undergraduate, and served as a member of the organizing committee for the M.I.'s "Pan-Pacific" International Chess Tournaments in 1987 and 1991.

The past three decades Nick deFirmian has excelled in many areas of the chess world. A world class player for many years, Grandmaster deFirmian is a three-time US Champion and an eight-time member of the US Olympiad team. He served as the Captain of the US team at the 2002 Chess Olympiad held in Bled, Slovenia.

The author of several books on the games, including three editions of the well-received Modern Chess Openings, deFirmian has also written for such leading chess publications as New in Chess, Chess Life and Inside Chess.

He is well known for his role in helping prepare openings for the IBM computer Deep Blue that defeated World Champion Garry Kasparov in a historic battle in 1997. This was the first time a computer had beaten a reigning human World Champion in a match.

The past decade Grandmaster deFirmian has concentrated his energy on teaching chess to children in New York City. This teaching included working with Public School 130 in Chinatown and Horace Mann, a private school which won the 3rd and 5th grade national championships. He has also coached kids in such events as the World Youth Championships and taught at summer chess camps throughout the country.

Grandmaster deFirmian will focus his energy on the Mechanics' Chess Club's Scholastic Outreach program. He will also be the lead instructor at an expanded number of chess camps held at the Mechanics' and will start a Thursday evening group class for enthusiastic amateurs players.

Additional Links

• USCF Rating = 2573
• FIDE Rating = 2512
  
• Biography
• Chess Games

Additional comment by fpawn This certainly counts as exciting news! The Mechanics' has been without a Grandmaster-in-Residence since 2008, the year when Alex Yermolinsky moved to South Dakota. DeFirmian brings the experience of a veteran Grandmaster who won the US Championship three times and many times represented the country abroad. He also is one of only a few American GMs born in the USA! After the departure of Sam Shankland, Josh Friedel and Jesse Kraai, the Bay Area should embrace the new arrival. Welcome home!

GRANDMASTER Sam Shankland!

His odyssey lasted a year longer than he hoped. He took a year off before enrolling in Brandeis University to pursue this elusive dream. Frustrated by his inability to pick up one final norm, he threatened to quit chess. Fortunately for his students and many friends, he fought on. Along the way, he shared a World Youth title, won the US Junior Closed, earned 3rd place at the 2011 US Championship and scalped dozens of experienced chess professionals.

Within the past week, our hero Sam Shankland reached the pinnacle. The world governing body FIDE finally approved his Grandmaster title! He joined more than 1300 players at the highest level for a chess player. Sam was officially credited with four norms, needing only three: New York and Philadelphia in 2009 plus Berkeley and St. Louis in 2011. Bravo!

I still remember Sam as a rambunctious 12 year old rated 1750. It was already obvious back then that he had both the talent and enthusiasm to improve rapidly. In 2004 and 2005, he played a whopping 5,000 standard games on ICC. Kids, don't try this without parental permission. :-) Nonetheless, after so much practice, it is no wonder that his USCF rating shot upwards.

Date - USCF Rating

• 4/2003 - 1086
  
• 2/2004 - 1537
  
• 2/2005 - 1867
  
• 2/2006 - 2106
  
• 2/2007 - 2216
• 2/2008 - 2279
• 2/2009 - 2441
• 2/2010 - 2546
• 2/2011 - 2559
• current - 2613

Although I never formally taught chess to Sam, I didn't hesitate to chew him out when he needed it. Trust me, he deserved it! Over the years, I came to know Sam as well as my top private students, even though he was in fact a major rival. Yet I cheered him on while he trotted around the globe. The biggest highlight was the trip to Vietnam in October 2008, where he shared 1st place in World Youth U18. Well done master!

Despite his repeated claims to the contrary, I am confident that Sam won't quit anytime soon. He loves the royal game and has achieved so much. He will undoubtedly play during vacations plus in the online US Chess League in the fall, unfortunately for the defending champion New England Nor'easters. Sam also enjoys teaching private lessons and summer camps. Check out his chess website for more information. Don't worry, GM Shanky is here to stay!

Sam is the second Berkeley Chess School alumnus to have earned the Grandmaster title. They're the same age and, quite predictably, are friends. Who is the other?

Grandmaster Josh Friedel!

After patiently waiting six months, Josh Friedel was formally awarded the Grandmaster title today. The news from Dresden, Germany was confirmed by Bill Kelleher, FIDE Vice President and representative for the USCF. Born and raised in New Hampshire, Friedel moved to the East Bay about three years ago and has won the Northern California Labor Day State Championship twice. He scored his third and final norm last May when he tied for fourth place in the 2008 US Championship; then he attained the necessary 2500 rating a week later at the Chicago Open. Josh Friedel became the third American to officially earn the Grandmaster title just within the past month and half, joining Bay Area resident Vinay Bhat and World Senior Champion Larry Kaufman.

What else can I say? Congratulations Josh!!! This is a well deserved and long overdue recognition. Good luck and may 2600 come your way soon!

Grandmaster Vinay Bhat!

May I introduce you to Grandmaster Vinay Bhat? After several months of anticipation, the world chess federation FIDE today formally awarded him its highest title. Just 24 years old, Vinay had already earned the required three norms and he improved his rating to 2500 with several successful tournaments in Europe over the summer. As a Grandmaster, he joins 1162 colleagues around the world, including 61 who play under the USA flag.

Vinay grew up in San Jose, cutting his teeth each Thursday night at the Kolty Chess Club in Campbell. His rating rose quickly, already around 1500 by the end of second grade. At the tender age of 10 1/2 years in 1994, Vinay broke the USCF record for youngest master, beating a mark once set by Bobby Fischer decades earlier (and since broken by both Hikaru Nakamura and Nicholas Nip). His rating continued to rise and, at 16, he became an International Master. Vinay took some time off from chess to focus on graduating from Lynbrook High School and the University of California at Berkeley. However, the few occasions that he did play saw him continue to impress, earning GM norms in China (2002) and Spain (2006, 2007). In April 2008, Vinay was awarded the prestigious Samford Fellowship to continue his studies in chess.

Congratulations Vinay on a recognition that is long overdue! To read about Vinay's recent chess adventures and get a feel for his great personality, check out his insightful blog, complete with commentary about games from tournaments in Europe and America.

Update on Wednesday night: What did America's newest Grandmaster do to celebrate? He beat the country's #2 rated player, GM Hikaru Nakamura (2751), in US Chess League action for the second year in a row. Click here to replay this year's game.