Teen Chess Prodigy Smashes Record Books
Written by
Jeff Mays
Published on
February 12, 2013
Share the post
Share this link via
Or copy link
Praise 100.9 Featured Video
CLOSE
Teen Chess Prodigy Smashes Record Books was originally published on newsone.com
More from Praise 100.9
-
Feeding Five Thousand People in the Queen City
-
Black Writers Matter Author Showcase
-
MLK Day of Service and Other Events on Monday
-
Pastor John P. Kee To Take A Break From Duties To Focus On Health
-
Top Stories of 2023 in the Faith Community
-
Jesus' Triumphant Entry: The Meaning Behind Palm Sunday
-
Curate a Purposeful Life with Guest Host Casey J
-
3 Things To Remember During Holy Week
Trending
Place of Residence: New York City
Why He’s a Game Changer: At the age of 14, Justus is one of the top-ranked youth chess players in the world. According to the U.S. Chess Federation, Justus, who was 12 at the time, became the youngest African-American National Master ever. And he led his Bronx middle school team to the national championship. To top it all off, Justus recently traveled to the World Youth Chess Championship in Slovenia, where he competed for the title of the world’s best chest player under 14.
SEE ALSO: Atlanta Teen Advocates For Children In Foster Care
Despite his success at such an early age, Justus is still a regular kid. He told the Grio that he loves martial arts and wants another dog. And when asked what inspires him, Justus listed God, his mom, coaching younger children, and winning in that order. His mother deserves a lot of credit for keeping him grounded and focused, especially after he was featured in the documentary “Brooklyn Castle.”
Justus has said he wants to be an international banker when he gets older. In the meantime, he’s working on video chess tutorials and is launching a national campaign to expose kids to chess.
“I didn’t think I was going to be good at chess, so just try everything, and try the things you don’t think you’d be good at. If those don’t work out, then try the things that you don’t think you’ll like,” Justus told the Norwood News.
Check out Justus in action against Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen here:
SEE ALSO: Olympic Medalist Is Out To Save Lives