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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/
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/