Canadian Jason Cao - New U 10 World Chess Champion

PRESS RELEASE #6/2010

DATE: Tuesday, November 2, 2010
BY: the Chess Federation of Canada ( CFC )
B.C. WRITER/CONTACT: Greg Churchill, Secretary, Victoria Junior Chess Society (250-370-9864; gpchurchill@gmail.com )
CFC CONTACT: Bob Armstrong, CFC Governor ( 416-469-5905; bobarm@sympatico.ca )
INTERVIEW: can be arranged

TOPIC : 9-year old Canadian Wins World Chess Championship

9-Year old Canadian Jason Cao Wins World Chess Championship !!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1BFDAXV7YP...0/IMG_5171.JPG

9-year old Jason Cao of Victoria, B.C., took the first step in reaching his chess goal of becoming World Chess Champion – he became the Under 10-years old World Chess Champion !

For the last 1 ½ weeks in October, in Greece, Jason represented Canada in the World Youth Chess Championships, in the under 10 years old category. On Tuesday, Oct. 26, he defeated the top ranked player in his group. On Saturday, Oct. 30, he won his 11th round game, tying for first with a USA player, and then winning the Gold Medal first place on the breaking of the tie. He had over the course of the tournament 8 wins, 2 draws, and only one loss.

This feat has not been accomplished by a Canadian for 24 years – since Jeff Sarwer won the U 10 in 1986.

Jason is a grade 5 student at Campus View Elementary School in Victoria, B.C.. Jason became curious about the game of chess when he passed a number of Victoria chess players playing outdoor chess at Willows Beach (they do that from May to September on Saturdays from 10 am - noon).

Shortly thereafter, Jason took part in a chess camp where he earned his first official rating in the system run by the national Canadian scholastic organization, the Chess’n Math Association. Thereafter he played in tournaments sponsored by the Chess Federation of Canada ( CFC ), the national body, and got his official CFC rating.

Jason was originally ranked only 89th out of 156 in his age group. He had no international rating since he had only been playing chess for 2 years. He had only a modest Canadian “ C-class “ CFC rating. He has no formal chess coach. But he did train 4-5 hrs. every day for the 3 weeks before departing and he is an enthusiastic player. So he was definitely one of the big surprises of the tournament when he came out on top !

Four-time former Canadian Champion, Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett ( last in 1996 ), said recently of Jason: “ From what I can tell, Jason has an excellent combinative vision and his play is characterized by imaginative invention and a penchant for attacking. He certainly has a lot of talent for a player just 9 years old! “

Through his win, Jason earned the international title of FIDE ( international chess body ) Master ! He definitely has a bright future in both Canadian and international chess!

Background to CFC Press Releases :

At the Toronto July CFC AGM, the governors passed Motion 2010-17 creating a non-executive officer position of " Public Relations Coordinator " ( upgrading the prior position of Director of Publicity ). Bylaw 3 of the CFC Handbook, under Duties of Officers in Section 8C, gives the mandate of this position as:

8C. The Public Relations Coordinator will be responsible for promoting the image of the CFC and for promoting chess generally to the public. As such the Public Relations Coordinator will, among other things:

- deal with mainstream media to promote significant chess news, such as Canadian Chess Champions, a new Canadian GM, major tournaments like the Can. Closed, Canadian Open, Can. Women’s Closed, CYCC, etc., the various benefits accruing from playing chess and other positive aspects of the chess culture.

This position in its initial creation never got filled. And currently, the CFC is looking for a volunteer governor/member to fill the vacant Public Relations Coordinator position.

Because of this situation, the CFC has never developed a bank of Canadian mainstream media contacts who might be willing to publish CFC Press Releases on chess items, or to write articles on chess.

I have currently volunteered, in the interim, as a governor, to try to do some preliminary work on this issue, in advance of us finding the right volunteer to fill the position. I will write some press releases myself, and on some I will be collaborating with others, under who's name the press release will appear.

Feel free to make use of the CFC Press Releases in any publicity efforts you might be undertaking. I would appreciate being advised of any efforts made and use of the material, so CFC can build a file on the efforts being made to promote chess in Canada.

Newspapers do not acknowledge press releases ( too many daily ) and to my knowledge do not notify you if they make use of one. So if you see an article on this in any of the papers, please advise me. I have been warned that it has not been easy to get chess material into the mainstream media, and so CFC should have very modest expectations of success on this front. But hopefully, over time, with developing contacts, this will change.

If anyone has any newspaper, television or radio contacts I might be able to use, or any advice on this effort, please e-mail me : bobarm@sympatico.ca

Bob

A video with Jason Cao from local Victoria, B.C. TV : http://wycc2010.blogspot.com/2010/11...rld-class.html

Bob

An article by Arnold Lim, News staff, in the BC Goldstream Gazette of Nov. 9, on Jason ( on Oct 15, Arnold did an article on Jason, before he went to the WYCC - see other thread below on Jason ):

Practice makes perfect for world chess champ

Jason Cao’s golden prediction has proven prophetic.

The nine-year-old Saanich resident returned from the World Youth Chess Championships in Halkidiki, Greece last Wednesday victorious in the under-10 category at the biggest youth-chess tournament in the world.

Just like he said he would.

“That was my first time playing the serious international games,” Cao said. “It was really hard.”

Finishing with a score of 9.0 out of 11, Cao competed in one match every day for 11 days. His record was eight victories, one loss, and two draws along the way. After all rounds were completed, the Campus View elementary student was tied for first but won the tie breaker on the merit of defeating higher-ranked opponents, including Samuel “Bobby Fischer 2” Sevian.

He admits he wasn’t confident stepping up to face Sevian in a battle of undefeated players.

“I was really nervous, I felt that I was going to lose,” he said.

Even a parent of one of the other Canadian players told Cao he would likely lose. But despite the odds, the 89th ranked player went on to defeat the No. 1 ranked player in his category and heavy favorite coming into the tournament.

His friends and teachers at Campus View couldn’t be happier.

“We had a mounting amount of happiness and shock,” said Cao’s Grade 5 teacher Brenda Kohlruss. “Excitement kept building with every piece of news we heard about him.”

The Grade 5 class gathered any information they could, checking the Internet and getting more and more excited as the tournament rolled on. With his victory, Cao became the only Canadian to place in the top five in any age category, male or female.

“I don’t think I have enough words to express how amazing it is to have him representing our whole county. I couldn’t think of a better candidate to represent (us),” Kohlruss said. “I think we are so incredibly proud to have such a hero in our class. He is an extremely inspiring student.”

The sacrifice of giving up TV, video games, playing with friends and taking time off school was worth it for Cao, especially when he stood victorious with the Canadian flag wrapped around him.

“It felt cool that way,” he said of donning the flag. “It meant that I was Canadian.”

His next chess-related goal is to prepare for next year’s WYCC where he will compete in the under-12 category as a 10 year old. While he is tempering expectations, his confidence is still running high.

“Practice makes perfect,” he said.

- the article can be found at : http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver...106975273.html

Is official: Jason the youngest FM in Canada : http://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=2611112

Posted by Andrei Botez on CMA ChessTalk today.

Bob

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bob Armstrong

An article by Arnold Lim, News staff, in the BC Goldstream Gazette of Nov. 9, on Jason ( on Oct 15, Arnold did an article on Jason, before he went to the WYCC - see other thread below on Jason ):

Practice makes perfect for world chess champ

Saanich golden boy comes home as world chess champ - PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!

Jason Cao’s golden prediction has proven prophetic.

The nine-year-old Saanich resident returned from the World Youth Chess Championships in Halkidiki, Greece last Wednesday victorious in the under-10 category at the biggest youth-chess tournament in the world.

Just like he said he would.

“That was my first time playing the serious international games,” Cao said. “It was really hard.”

Finishing with a score of 9.0 out of 11, Cao competed in one match every day for 11 days. His record was eight victories, one loss, and two draws along the way. After all rounds were completed, the Campus View elementary student was tied for first but won the tie breaker on the merit of defeating higher-ranked opponents, including Samuel “Bobby Fischer 2” Sevian.

He admits he wasn’t confident stepping up to face Sevian in a battle of undefeated players.

“I was really nervous, I felt that I was going to lose,” he said.

Even a parent of one of the other Canadian players told Cao he would likely lose. But despite the odds, the 89th ranked player went on to defeat the No. 1 ranked player in his category and heavy favorite coming into the tournament.

His friends and teachers at Campus View couldn’t be happier.

“We had a mounting amount of happiness and shock,” said Cao’s Grade 5 teacher Brenda Kohlruss. “Excitement kept building with every piece of news we heard about him.”

The Grade 5 class gathered any information they could, checking the Internet and getting more and more excited as the tournament rolled on. With his victory, Cao became the only Canadian to place in the top five in any age category, male or female.

“I don’t think I have enough words to express how amazing it is to have him representing our whole county. I couldn’t think of a better candidate to represent (us),” Kohlruss said. “I think we are so incredibly proud to have such a hero in our class. He is an extremely inspiring student.”

The sacrifice of giving up TV, video games, playing with friends and taking time off school was worth it for Cao, especially when he stood victorious with the Canadian flag wrapped around him.

“It felt cool that way,” he said of donning the flag. “It meant that I was Canadian.”

His next chess-related goal is to prepare for next year’s WYCC where he will compete in the under-12 category as a 10 year old. While he is tempering expectations, his confidence is still running high.

“Practice makes perfect,” he said.

- the article can be found at : http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver...106975273.html

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Saanich golden boy comes home as world chess champ - PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT! :)

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