Chess prodigy Ray Robson winning in Corus Chess tournament

But there’s another American here who is also on the verge of a breakthrough: 15-year-old Ray Robson.

Corus is split into three tiers. The world’s best are in the top group. Robson is in the third section, but is tied for first place. After four rounds he hasn’t lost a game, winning three and drawing one.

For decades, American chess has waited for the next Bobby Fischer. Most prodigies flame out. They give up the game altogether or peak at a level far below Bobby’s. Is Robson the real thing?

Hard to know. He earned the grandmaster title at 14 — a younger age than Bobby. And he is flourishing in one of the elite tournaments in international chess.

I asked Jack Peters, the Sunday chess columnist for the L.A. Times, to assess Robson’s potential.
“Unlimited,” he said in an e-mail.

But Jack went on to emphasize that talent alone won’t cut it.

“I think literally millions of people have all the talent needed to become world champion,” he said. What distinguishes the best players is work ethic, resourcefulness and a competitive spirit, he continued.

“Robson might be able to do all three. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

After he won his fourth round, Ray left the stage to analyze the game. He was exploring alternative moves and a small crowd gathered to kibitz. An older spectator who is also a strong player told Ray a certain move was a mistake.

“You can’t do this,” the man said.

“Yes I can,” Ray said, evenly.

“You can do anything you want,” the man continued. “It doesn’t mean it’s good.”

“It is good,” Ray said.

I liked how he didn’t retreat. He’s still an adolescent — rail thin and shy. But in that quick exchange he showed a certain mental toughness.

Afterward, I sat down with Ray to talk about his chess. He said he is open to becoming a chess professional. Living near Clearwater, Fla., he says he is playing more overseas, where the competition is tougher and tournament conditions are more hospitable.