NZ Trained Prodigy is World Chess Champion

MELBOURNE, Nov 24 (Bernama) - A Melbourne student has become Australia's first world champion face-to-face chess player after winning the world under 12 title in Turkey.

Bobby Cheng, 12, beat a field of 142 players from 68 countries to win the title at the World Age Chess Championship in Antalya on Sunday.

Cheng's coach, Australian grandmaster Darryl Johansen, told the Australian Associated Press he was "over the moon" at the result as Australians were generally regarded as minnows in the chess world.

The chess prodigy, who is in Year 7 at Balwyn High School, faced stiff competition, with 15 of his opponents being previous master titles winners, some of whom had left school to pursue the game full time.

In the final round, Cheng demolished the competition favourite and top seed from India, Suri Vaibhav, and held off challenges from competitors from Poland, Canada and Russia.

-- BERNAMA
Event "WORLD YOUTH CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2009 (U1"
Date "2009.11.22"]
[White "Vaibhav, Suri" 2344]
[Black "Cheng, Bobby" 2202]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ndf3 cxd4 8.
cxd4 a5 9. Bd3 a4 10. a3 Nb6 11. Ne2 Na5 12. O-O g6 13. Qc2 Nb3 14. Rb1 Bd7
15. g4 Rc8 16. Nc3 Nc4 17. f5 Nxd4 18. Nxd4 Bc5 19. fxg6 Bxd4+ 20. Kh1 hxg6
21. Bxg6 Nxe5 22. Bh5 Bc6 23. Qe2 Bxc3 24. bxc3 d4+ 25. Kg1 Qd5 26. cxd4 Rxh5
27. gxh5 Nd3 0-1


Sifu sees this NZ trained but lack of funding for players development push him to Melbourne for recognition and achievement, are we not in the same category and sad story for our budding juniors ?