2011 World Youth Championship (Brazil)
The World Youth Championships begin today in Caldas Novas, Brazil. The tournament will have twelve categories (six each for both open and girls). There are 78 countries competing for top honors and titles. There are several Grandmasters on hand including top seed Samvel Ter-Sahakyan (2556) of Armenia. The under-18 section has three GMs. The under-12 section is the largest with 134 players. The U.S. team is sending a contingent of more than 40 players. GM Ray Robson did not make the trip. Several players will be looking to make a mark.
Drum visitors will no doubt recognized the highly-touted trio of Justus Williams, Josh Colas and James Black, Jr.. The three will be looking for medals in under-14 as will Darrian Robinson (under-18) and Rochelle Ballantyne (under-16). The sibling duo of WGM Deysi Cori and GM Jorge Cori of Peru will certainly be ones to watch. Deysi is playing in the open under-18.
Official Site: https://www.wycc2011.com/
Standings: https://chess-results.com/tnr58159.aspx?art=3&lan=10&flag=30
The Internet is available off and on. I Will send some pictures later on. So far Josh got a quick win against Finland. James , Justus and Rochelle are still fighting. Too bad Darrian is not with us. No idea what happened.
Correction: James won on forfeit!
Internet access is dismal at our location. I´ve sent some pictures about 3 hours ago, but because of the Internet issues, theý are still waiting to be sent in outlook . Last night, there was a blackout which lasted about 20 minutes. Today, The second round is expected to be thrilling as Josh will have to face a top FM from India. Justus and James will also be facing stiffer competition . It really makes a big difference with all three of them being here together. They are supporting each other and they all seem very relax and confident. Game starts at 12 ET.
Josh had a tough loss in the Albin gambit against the Indian FM. I am not sure where he went wrong as the game seems to have been headed for a draw. James got a quick win and Justus pulled a draw. Today, James will play up while Josh and Justus will play down. Although, here, playing up or down means absolutely nothing. Every game requires 100 % effort or you’ll get dust-up quickly.
It’s all about opening prep! You prepare for one line and they come out with a different line or a completely different opening. Everybody is checking up on each other and coming out with surprises. It’s a MUST to be more than familiar with all major openings at this level to finish on top. The spirit of the boys are high so I am hoping for a strong finish.
Fifth round was a split. Justus & Josh won while James & Rochelle fell apart quickly.
I was told not to bother with openings when kids are first introduced to chess. In hindsight, I think it should be the opposite. I think knowing your openings well is the foundation to built upon in chess. Otherwise, talent or not, you will eventually get stuck at some point. I welcome anyone who has a different point of view.
Thanks Daaim. I am bit frustrated hearing over and over from post-analysis of the coaches that his middle game and end-game are fantastic, but he’s throwing away games because of his opening.
Ok. I will make that a priority! Thank you
Hello Guy, I also believe it is correct to emphasis the end game when “kids are first introduced to chess” since endgame mastery win games!! With over 80 openings not considering variations available, most kids would give up due to complexity before they even get to the middle and endgame principles and theory. After obtaining some end game knowledge they can then tailor their positional and tactical play to match their endgame strength.
Hope Joshua has a wonderful trip
Hi Cleveland,
Thanks for the advice. I do agree with you to some degree, but if you know where you want to go, but take the wrong path, you will never reach your destination. So the question remains, is it more important to know where you want to go, or knowing how to get where you want to go? Maybe there is no right or wrong answer, but we have to be careful here. If our kids are really serious about their chess, then at a certain point, they will have to do whatever it takes to know what needs to be known. Knowing 80 openings as you referred to might seems impossible, but it’s doable if they do a little at a time.
Hello Guy,
Just wanted to say that I was just reaffirming advice for beginners to maintain their interest and joy with playing chess. It is my understanding that endgame theory is finite (remaining constant) while opening and middle game theory is subject to infinite logic, current popularity and unlimited creative opportunities. For the competitive players who wish to become a grandmaster or future world champion the self discipline and intensive independent study is an investment of time that should be considered with muture contemplation of life long goals. Several world champions combined their academic studies with chess and held doctorates in mathematic or engineering, etc. I wonder, Did chess help their educational development or if academic development help their chess?
Before speaking about my observation at the WYCC-2011, I’d like to briefly say a word about Cleveland’s interesting question. I think chess definitely helps kids improve in certain areas of school, such as math, which requires memory and systemic thinking. However, I don’t think academic development helps improve chess ability. There are academic geniuses that play chess and even with some coaching they cannot go beyond the expert level. On the other hand, there are tons of stories about how a kid’s math or science grade has improved after being introduced to chess. This is my opinion. Now what did I observe in Brazil? First, our kids are spoiled! And we have to change that if we want them to become top chess players or to even get into good colleges. The kids that finished with top scores were noticeably disciplined and obviously came to Brazil with a define goal, which was to win the tournament. For a major championship tournament like the WYCC, you need at least six month of tailored preparation to do well. Justus was the most focus of the three and his result was evident. James and Josh seemed to have lost steam after the 5th round. They stayed up too late yakking and playing with their foreign friends. Perhaps, next time around they will be better prepared and show some maturity.
It was an unfortunate comment. Although, the parent did offer an apology, but the damage was already sealed. Some people shoot before they aim and hurt the wrong people. JJJ earned their recognition–They are not the best, but that misses the point. I believe that all three have the ability to become elite players through dedicated work , determination and community support.
I feel so bad i missed out on this tournament ..my flight gat cancelled but am happy to see other players managed to get there,,,i wanted so bad to represent my country Kenya on the under 18 girls category but i guess it wasent my time..