California boy, 9, is youngest US chess 'master'

[December 22, 2010]  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A 9-year-old California boy has become the youngest-ever chess "master" in the United States.

Samuel Sevian, of Santa Clara, earned the title after a match in San Francisco.

The United States Chess Federation, the governing body of competitive chess, gave him a rating of 2,201 after the Dec. 11 match. A rating of 2,200 qualifies a player as a "national master."

Samuel beat the previous record-holder for youngest chess master, Nicholas Nip, of San Francisco, by 11 days.

It's not the first record for the fourth-grader at Don Callejon School, who turns 10 on Sunday. Samuel also was the youngest person to reach the previous chess level of "expert" when he was 8.

The federation's ultimate title is that of "senior master" for ratings of 2,400 and up.

[Associated Press]

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