This was posted in the news a few hours ago but as it may be easily missed, I thought to make mention of it again ( yea...it's a matter of pride too, I'm sorry ). Australia has her third Grandmaster ! Woo-hoooo !!!

Please find report adapted from Sydney Morning Herald :-

Zhao Zong Yuan, a 21-year-old Sydney pharmacy student has become Australia’s third chess grandmaster. And he's done it in record time and at a record age.

Zhao completed the requirements to become a grandmaster in two months - a process that normally takes several years.

And achieving the top title in international chess at the age of 21 has never been done before in Australia.

Zhao achieved the prestigious title after defeating French player Gildas Goldsztein in a tournament at the 2008 Gibraltor Chess Festival this week.

Zhao first broke into the international chess scene when he became Australia's youngest International Master at 14. Australia's two other grandmasters, Ian Rogers, 47, and Darryl Johansen, 48, both achieved that status at the respective ages of 24 and 35.

Dr. Jonathan Paxman, an Australian chess commentator and writer commented that  it was all the more impressive because the path to achieving grandmaster status was that much harder for Australians. "In Europe they have a lot of competitions to take in but in Australia you have to travel to Europe to do that, so it normally takes more time."

Zhao is now expected to take "first board" - equivalent to the captaincy - of the Australian team at the Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany, later this year.  Dr Paxman added  "That team has always been captained by Rogers so Zhao has come along at just the right time."  Zhao Zong Yuan - now the highest rated Australian player after the nation's first grandmaster, Ian Rogers, retired from competition last year.

how many im's do u have??

 

Ian Rogers, Australia's 1st GM who was at the Gibraltar event said that Zhao achieved 3 Grand Master results in seven weeks, it's a record. Yuan played his  first ever Grand Master tournament in December last year.

Australia has more than 30,000 registered chess players, but the sport has a low profile here compared to Europe and North America. It is hoped that Zhao would be able to lift the chess profile in Australia ( something akin to what Fischer done for chess in America in 1972 ).

 

Very cool ! thanks for sharing that i knew it would happen sooner or later he is an impressive player. I saw him play back when he was only 1600+ i think he was 12yrs old then in taree and he won that i believe.....

Australia has  

Grand Master : 3

Woman Grand Master : 0

International Master : 12

Woman International Master : 8

FIDE Master : 22

Woman FIDE Master : 5

zhao zhing yuan is my coaches friend

iits not zhao zhing yuan it is zhao zong yuan lol!