National title for young chess chap
FEBRUARY 11, 2014
YOUNG Jewish chess prodigy Jay Landau has triumphed again, winning the title of Under 8 Australian Chess Champion in the recent Australian Junior Chess Championships, held in Sydney last month.
The eight-year-old Mount Scopus student set himself the goal of winning the national trophy after having taken out the Victorian State Tournament in the under 7 category in October last year.
“He was very determined and focused, and enjoyed the tournament immensely,” Jay’s mother Justine Jacobi told The AJN.
He won eight out of nine games in this latest five-day tournament, losing only a close game which lasted more than an hour and a half.
“To determine the overall winner of the under 8 tournament, it came down to a play-off between the two boys who had only lost one game each. After four exciting play-off games where Jay won three, Jay was declared the national winner of the under 8 open,” Jacobi explained.
In addition to the Open, Jay took part in the Lightning Tournament, whereby each full game is played out in less than 10 minutes.
After a total of 11 games in this format, Jay won the under 8 division of the Lightning Tournament as well.
Jay began playing chess at four years old, and by age five, he had taken part in his first competition.
Since then, the youngster has accumulated an impressive list of accolades. He plays regularly with his father, his brother, and his cousin in the United States on the internet.
“He just loves it, he gravitates towards it,” Jacobi said.
PHOEBE ROTH
Source: http://www.jewishnews.net.au
The next Kasparov. Does he know how to bribe yet?