Dobbs Ferry 11-Year-Old Wins National Online Chess Title

DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. - Dobbs Ferry's Nicolas de T. Checa has won the 2nd Annual National Online Inviational Championship and been named an Under-12 age group National Champion by the U.S. Chess Federation.

Dobbs Ferry chess whiz Nicolas de T. Checa won the National Online Chess Tournament for Under-12 players.
Photo Credit: *Nicolas Checa*

by Danny LoPriore

06/24/2013 10:00 a.m.

Co-sponsored by ChessKid.com and the United States Chess Federation (USCF), the National Online tournament is the only event of its kind for America's strongest scholastic chess players.

In round-robin style tournaments that ended last week, the players participated against the best players in their respective age groups.

Checa, 11, won a big game in Round 6 of the tournament, grinding out a long, king and pawn endgame to secure the victory. The win helped clinch the section heading into the last round.

"Nico", a recent graduate of the Springhurst Elementary School fifth-grade, is headed for the US Chess School in Los Angeles today for a week of training as one of the top juniors in the country.

Checa will be the official representative of New York state at the Barber State Champions National Tournament in July, where he will compete with fellow K-8 champions from all the other states.

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