Foster City Teen Wins U.S. Junior Chess Championship

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis has crowned International Master Daniel Naroditsky, 17, of Foster City, the 2013 U.S. Junior Chess Champion.

Naroditsky beat out nine other players in a round-robin tournament to clinch the title and the first-place prize of $3,000.

As the winner of the U.S. Junior Closed Championship, he also will receive an invitation to the 2014 U.S. Chess Championship, which is scheduled to be held in St. Louis.

The Junior Closed Championship is an invitation-only tournament that features the top chess players in the nation under the age of 21.

Alongside the U.S. Chess Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship, the Junior Closed Championship completes the “Triple Crown” of the three most prestigious chess tournaments in the country. 

Naroditsky was ranked first by rating out of the 10 competitors and was considered one of the favorites coming onto the tournament.

He finished the event undefeated, scoring four wins and five draws, including a victory in the final round over Robert Perez, 17, of Miami Beach, Fla. 

“Daniel is an amazing example of the young chess talent there is in the U.S.,” Tony Rich, executive director of the CCSCSL, said in a statement. “His passion for the game, and the sportsmanship demonstrated by all the participants, will hopefully encourage kids across the country to become more active with the game.”

Naroditsky edged out second-place finishers Sam Sevian, 12, of Santa Clara, and Luke Harmon-Vellotti, 14, of Boise, Idaho. Each of the second-place finishers received $1,750.

About The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to making chess an important part of our community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play tournaments and casual games, the club also offers chess improvement classes, beginner lessons and special lectures.

Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral benefits of chess, the Chess Club and Scholastic Center is committed to supporting those chess programs that already exist in area schools while encouraging the development of new in-school and after-school programs. For more information, visit www.saintlouischessclub.org.