16-year-old student earns rare national master chess title
CHICAGO -- On a typical day after school, 16-year-old Avi Kaplan can often be found sitting around a table with friends in the throes of a game at his school’s chess club, where he might be sharing a winning opening he played during a recent tournament.
On other days, Avi might be found playing a game on Chess.com, something he’s done over 15,000 times before. Or he could be picking up a new skill from one of his go-to books, “1001 Deadly Checkmates.”
It’s not a common pastime for a teenager, but it’s one that has brought Avi national recognition. During the 30th annual Midwest Class Championships this October, the Lane Tech College Prep student and longtime chess player earned the rare title of national master from the U.S. Chess Federation, an accomplishment reached by less than 1% of rated chess players. Even fewer
