8-year old rule the 64 squares

Checkmate — Eight-year-old rules the board
By A.J. O’CONNELL
Wilton Villager – Wilton, CT

WILTON — Eight-year-old chess champion Kapil Chandran says sacrifice is his favorite part of the game.

“I might check my opponent by sacrificing a queen or a rook,” said the third grader, who recently won his third annual Connecticut Scholastic Chess Tournament at Yale University. “I like when you can sacrifice and still win somehow.”

Kapil’s been doing a lot of winning lately. He came in first in the K-3 division at the 2007 Scholastic Chess Tournament on March 24, and tied for first in his division at the ninth annual Foxwoods Open on the weekend of April 4.

“He was seeded 61st in a group of 93,” said Kapil’s mother, Dr. Priya Iyer. “He beat everyone he played against except the last one.”

Although Kapil lost that last match, his score tied him with three others for first place.

Kapil, a student at Cider Mill School, is currently ranked 17th in his age group by the United States Chess Federation. When the rankings are updated, say his family, he will be ranked in the top five.

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