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Chess: Meet Samuel Sevian, Youngest-Ever US Chess Grandmaster

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  • Chess: Meet Samuel Sevian, Youngest-Ever US Chess Grandmaster

    MEET SAMUEL SEVIAN, YOUNGEST-EVER US CHESS GRANDMASTER

    The Star, Malaysia
    Dec 2 2014

    Not many people can claim to have shattered a major American record at
    13 years, 10 months and 27 days. But chess prodigy Samuel Sevian can.

    At a chess tournament in St Louis on Nov 23, Samuel Sevian won all
    four of his games to push his World Chess Federation rating past 2,500
    points - enough to secure himself the title of America's youngest-ever
    Grandmaster, easily besting the country's previous record holder by
    more than a year.

    "I feel really good and somewhat relieved. This was one of my best
    tournament performances," says the teen, noting that he had beaten
    three Grandmasters during the event in only 20-25 moves.

    His father Armen - a scientist born and raised in Armenia who later
    emigrated to the United States - is bursting with pride. "He really
    outplayed his opponents in three games. But the fourth, it was really
    back and forth, it wasn't clear," he recalls. "It was like a blitz,
    it came down to the last seconds. Both players were shaking."

    The previous record for the youngest US Grandmaster was held by Ray
    Robson, who achieved the title two weeks before he turned 15. American
    legend Bobby Fischer also once held the record.

    The young chess wizard is well accustomed to setting US records,
    having become the youngest American Expert (another ranking) shortly
    before his 10th birthday. At 12 years and 10 months, he became the
    country's youngest International Master.

    The chess star's father says he is the sixth-youngest Grandmaster in
    the world. The youngest person to win the status is Russia's Sergey
    Karjakin, who became a Grandmaster when he was just 12 years and
    seven months old.

    Sevian's next target is to get to 2,600 points, which would secure
    him invitations to the most prestigious tournaments.

    Ultimately, however, his dream is to become world champion. The
    question is when he will be ready to tackle the challenge. "It's way
    out in the future and I don't want to busy my head with it now. First,
    I would need to improve my game," he says. "After my big win in St
    Louis, my confidence level is high. This definitely helps."

    Overwhelmed

    Samuel, who lives in the Boston area, says he was overcome with
    emotion when he realised he was about to achieve elite status in
    the chess world. "The pressure was enormous when I played my fourth
    game, which I needed to win to go over the 2,500 mark," he says. "I'm
    suddenly a Grandmaster and felt overwhelmed."

    In the coming weeks, Samuel will spend three days in New York at the
    Gary Kasparov Foundation. The chess legend is one of Samuel's regular
    trainers and will be present for the three-day visit. The foundation
    hails his achievement, saying he is "the world's first Grandmaster
    born in this millennium."

    After celebrating his 14th birthday on December 26, Samuel will
    participate in another tournament in the Netherlands. "We want to go
    more to Europe. There's stronger competition over there," says Armen
    Sevian, himself a former high-level player. - AFP/RelaxNews

    http://www.thestar.com.my/Lifestyle/People/2014/12/02/Meet-Samuel-Sevian-youngest-ever-US-chess-Grandmaster/

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