July At ChessKid: Tournaments, Philanthropy, A Trip to the UK!

Hey ChessKids! Hope you're having a good week. We're here to catch you up to speed with some of the goings-on in the CK universe.

ChessKid Youth SCC Results:

The scores have been settled in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the annual Summer 2021 ChessKid Youth Speed Chess Championship. 

Congratulations to NM Ryo Chen and CM Lev Zverev for advancing to the finals! And thank you to all the talented ChessKids and their families for playing their best in the event.

To watch the finals, tune in to Chess.com/TV this Saturday, July 31, at 7am Pacific/5pm Moscow to see who will be the 2021 ChessKid Youth Speed Chess Champion!

The Youngest Grandmaster in History Sets All-Time World Record! 

History has been made! ChessKid would like to wish a big-time congratulations to the youngest grandmaster in the history of chess, Abhimanyu Mishra, who just set the all-time record! 

At 12 years, 4 months, and 25 days he achieved his third grandmaster norm and crossed the rating threshold of 2500 FIDE in the same tournament in June 2021! The previous record of 12 years and 7 months was held by the 2016 world chess champion challenger GM Sergey Karjakin. 

We are very excited to see what GM Abhimanyu Mishra accomplishes next. Be sure to check out the ChessKid YouTube channel to see a game Mishra played before he was a grandmaster! 

Chess Makes a Difference

At ChessKid, we’ve always recognized that the royal game is a framework for life skills: critical thinking, risk calculation, accountability, and much more. And for more than a decade, ChessKid has taught millions of kids around the world how to play the game and refine these skills. Some of these kids have gone on to become world class-strategic and tactical wizards.

Chess has the power to change lives in ways that transcend the chessboard. For the past few years, ChessKid has made it a priority to use the game as a powerful force for positive change in the world. Chess Makes a Difference. 

In this article, we’ve highlighted some of the ways we've helped chess make a difference for others.

ChessKid Visits Trafalgar Square! 

After more than a year of lockdowns and restrictions on over-the-board chess, this past weekend London enjoyed likely its biggest-ever outdoor chess event: Chess Fest in the city's iconic Trafalgar Square.

Thanks to the organizer, the UK charity Chess in Schools and Communities, FunMasterMike had a front row spot to meet the kids. Oh, and two very familiar ChessKids played on the very big screen! FM Shreyas Royal and NM Tani Adewumi played a two-game match from London/NYC on ChessKid. 

Want to see a full analysis of the game? Check back to the ChessKid Youtube channel soon.

We had the most fantastic time with our UK ChessKids this weekend. We're excited for many more in-person events!