Youngest City champion ever?

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  • Youngest City champion ever?

    The Edmonton Chess Championship has now come to the final which features FM Vladimir Pechenkin (2380) and 11 year old Richard Wang (2194). The winner will be decided by a two game match. In the first game, FM Pechenkin won with black, but I was wondering if anyone had any idea as to some candidates for the youngest city or provincial champions in Canadian History.

    I am pretty sure that if Richard can actually pull it through, he will be on the short-list. As a side note, on the way to the final Richard beat a couple of tough veterans rated over 2300 CFC; Jeff Reeve and Rob Gardner.

  • #2
    Re: Youngest City champion ever?

    Abe Yanofsky had just turned twelve when he won the Manitoba Championship for the first time in 1937.

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    • #3
      Re: Youngest City champion ever?

      Originally posted by Stephen Wright View Post
      Abe Yanofsky had just turned twelve when he won the Manitoba Championship for the first time in 1937.
      That would be quite a comparison for Richard Wang to aspire to!

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      • #4
        Re: Youngest City champion ever?

        In 1985, Todd Southam was 16 when he won the Toronto Championship. He was the youngest in its history stretching over 70 years. Given how it seems easier to be better at a younger age nowadays, this result and that of Abe Yanofsky seem tough to beat.

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        • #5
          Re: Youngest City champion ever?

          Raja was the city of Kingston champion at around 10...maybe Frank Dixon remembers the details...

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          • #6
            Re: Youngest City champion ever?

            Yes, thanks, Dilip! Raja Panjwani, now an IM, won the Kingston Whig-Standard Championship for the first time in late fall, 2002, when he was just over 12-and-a-half years old. That event drew most of the strong players from the Kingston region and a bit beyond, which has about 200,000 people. Several players either then above 2000 or who had been above 2000 were in the field.

            A wonderful achievement for Raja; I had essentially predicted the possibility of this happening, shortly after I was approached by Dilip to coach Raja early in 2000. Raja's win was perhaps even a bit ahead of my prediction. I saw his talent, put in a lot of effort for coaching, Raja worked very hard to improve rapidly (almost 700 rating points gained in one year!) and qualified for several major events, and Dilip was very supportive and provided many playing opportunities for Raja. It was a period which I will always remember and treasure, as I am sure both Raja and Dilip will as well! :) :) :)

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