14-year old Emmanuel Carter makes Master!


“What motivates me to play chess
is just wanting to win and be the best!”

~Emmanuel Carter~

North Carolina is quietly becoming a hotbed of young chess talent. With a very active state organization along with a U.S. Chess League team Carolina Cobras (including Duke collegiate IM Kassa Korley) and a thriving scholastic environment, the state is enjoying success. The state is perhaps best known for their popular “Land of the Sky” tournament which draws a number of strong players from around the country.

The latest news out of “North Cackalacky” is 14-year old Emmanuel Carter who has just attained National Master (NM) title after a tournament at the Charlotte Chess Club back in December. After clinching the title in December, he has been on both sides of 2200 and is currently at 2208. Dominique Myers, who is also a recently-minted National Master, reported to The Chess Drum. According to a report written by NM Leland Fuerstman, here is a sketch of the young star.

Born on May 25, 2000, and currently, the third highest rated active player in the Charlotte Chess Club, soft spoken 14 year old Expert Emmanuel Carter (2200) relocated from Tennessee a few years ago with his brother Lorenzo (1897), 15 and his sister Kydriana (1611), 16. Seeking better educational opportunities, they now live with their grandmother in Monroe where he attends Union County Early College. Emmanuel is somewhat of an anomaly having received very little formal chess instruction and only learning through books, internet activity and tough competition with his siblings!

Emmanuel learned to play chess from his grandfather at age three and along with his siblings have become a fixture in Charlotte chess. Last summer Emmanuel represented his state at the K-8 Barber Championship after winning the North Carolina Scholastic K-8. He scored a respectable 3.5/6 at the Barber tourney and eclipsed the 2100 barrier.

Emmanuel’s successes include 4th-7th 2014 NC Open (no loses), 1st Charlotte City Ch., =3rd-4th 2014 NC Closed, =1st-2nd KTX and =2nd-3rd CYCC. Emmanuel Carter made National Master on December 14, 2014 after competing in the McAlister’s VI at the Charlotte Chess Club! The Chess Drum community wishes Emmanuel a bright future!


Emmanuel Carter with older sister Kydriana Carter and grandmother. Both players have represented North Carolina in a number of scholastic events. Their brother Lorenzo Carter (not pictured) also plays. Photo by Frank Johnson.

10 Comments

  1. [Event “K8 Barber Chess Championship”]
    [Site “Orlando, FL”]
    [Date “2014.07.30”]
    [Round “1”]
    [White “Carter, Emmanuel”]
    [Black “Sheng, Joshua”]
    [Result “1-0”]
    [ECO “E70”]
    [WhiteElo “2045”]
    [BlackElo “2316”]

    1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Bd3 0-0 6. Nge2 Nc6 7. 0-0 Nd7 8. Bc2 e5 9. d5 Nd4 10. Nxd4 exd4 11. Ne2 Ne5 12. Nxd4 Nxc4 13. Rb1 Qf6 14. Ne2 Qe7 15. b3 Nb6 16. Ng3 h5 17. Qd2 h4 18. Ne2 Nd7 19. f3 Ne5 20. f4 Ng4 21. Bb2 Bxb2 22. Rxb2 h3 23. gxh3 Nf6 24. Qd3 Nh5 25. f5 Re8 26. Qf3 Kg7 27. Rf2 Nf6 28. fxg6 fxg6 29. Qc3 Qf7 30. Rb1 Rf8 31. Rbf1 Qe7 32. Nf4 Qe5 33. Qxc7+ Rf7 34. Qc4 Bd7 35. Ne6+ Bxe6 36. dxe6 Rff8 37. Qc7+ Kg8 38. e7 Rfc8 39. Qxb7 Rab8 40. Qxa7 Nxe4 41. Bxe4 Qxe4 42. Qd7 Qe5 43. Rd1 Re8 44. Qxd6 Rxe7 45. Qxe5 Rxe5 46. Rd4 Rc8 47. Rfd2 Kg7 48. h4 Rc1+ 49. Kg2 Ree1 50. b4 Rg1+ 51. Kf3 Rgf1+ 52. Ke4 Rce1+ 53. Kd5 Ra1 54. Kc4 Rfb1 55. Kb5 1-0

    [Event “ACC”]
    [Site “Durham, NC”]
    [Date “2014.05.10”]
    [Round “5”]
    [White “Carter, Emmanuel”]
    [Black “Lohr, Justin”]
    [Result “1-0”]
    [ECO “D30”]
    [WhiteElo “2184”]
    [BlackElo “2107”]

    1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Bf4 Bd6 4. Bg3 Bxg3 5. hxg3 Nf6 6. e3 b6 7. Nf3 Bb7 8. Qc2 Nbd7 9. cxd5 exd5 10. Nbd2 Rc8 11. Ne5 h6 12. Bb5 0-0 13. Bc6 Ba8 14. Rc1 Nxe5 15. Bxa8 Rxa8 16. dxe5 Nd7 17. Qf5 Re8 18. f4 Nc5 19. b4 Ne6 20. Qg4 Kh8 21. Nf3 Nf8 22. f5 Qd7 23. Qf4 Kg8 24. g4 Nh7 25. Rh3 a5 26. g5 axb4 27. gxh6 Rxa2 28. Rg3 Qb5 29. Rxg7+ Kh8 30. Rxh7+ Kxh7 31. Ng5+ Kg8 32. Qg4 Qe2+ 33. Qxe2 Rxe2+ 34. Kxe2 c5 35. f6 Ra8 36. h7+ Kh8 37. Rh1 Ra2+ 38. Kf3 Ra7 39. e6 fxe6 40. f7 Ra8 41. Nxe6 c4 42. f8=Q+ Rxf8+ 43. Nxf8 b3 44. Ng6+ 1-0

    1. Congrats to Emmanuel and Lorenzo Carter from your dad, granddad, and the rest of the family in Memphis, Tennessee. We’re sooooo proud of you!!

  2. Congrats! Extremely few bad tournaments since 2011. Ratings going straight up like the best stock on wall street. A 170 point gain in one tourney in 2011 and 81 points in one tournament in 2012!

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