Young contenders

Popular wisdom has it that the smartphone has shrivelled teenagers’ attention spans. But they are getting better at chess, and there is no doubt that technology is the main driver. Chess knowledge is more widely accessible than ever before, with any number of sparring partners, courses and coaches (like me!) available online. Chess engines, such as the famous ‘Stockfish’ program, are far more useful as training tools than they were 20 years ago, when they were tactically unbeatable but strategically patchy. These days their suggestions are invariably sound, and can harnessed for post-game feedback after playing human opponents. For promising young players, with the right guidance, there is no end of opportunity.

Garry Kasparov became a grandmaster at age 17, and Viswanathan Anand at 18. But Andy Woodward, from the US, recently completed his qualification for the grandmaster title at the age of 13. That is an immense achievement, but even so it is not the record: Abhimanyu Misha, also from the US, in 2021 achieved his title at the age of 12.

Woodward achieved his final qualifying result at the Jeddah Young Masters event in January. The tournament was won by 12-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus from Turkey, no doubt soon to become a grandmaster as well, who found a beautiful tactical trick in their game from the first round.

Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus-Andy Woodward

Jeddah Young Masters, January 2024

(See left diagram) 19 Nd6! A powerful and unexpected idea, exploiting the pin on the c5 bishop. 19…Rcc7 Now if 20 Re4 Bxd6 21 Rxe7 Bxe7, Black’s compact position ensures that the queen holds little advantage over rook and bishop. Erdogmus finds a far stronger shot. 20 Nf5! Black resigns, since 20…Bxd4 Nxe7 is check, while 20…gxf5 21 Rd8+ Kg7 22 Nh4! prepares a catastrophic check on f5.

Computers still have their limitations as training tools. In the position below, they will show no preference between either of White’s king moves, since both lead to a draw.