(Montreal) A young Montrealer was crowned world under-18 chess champion this week. Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux would thus become the first Quebecer and the second Canadian to win a world title, indicates the Quebec Chess Federation.
Posted at 1:49 p.m.
Returning from the seaside resort of Mamaia, Romania, where the tournament was taking place from September 5-17, Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux admitted that being world champion is something “crazy”, which he did not expect not really.
The Montrealer scored 9 out of 11 points, beating opponents from 54 countries. He has won seven games and had four draws, which count for ½ point. He notably beat the Kazakh Kazybek Nogerbek, who finished second in the standings, and had a draw with the German Marius Fromm, who finished third.
With this victory, Mr. Rodrigue-Lemieux obtained at the age of 18 a first norm of “grandmaster”, the highest title that a chess player can obtain. He will need two other standards – victories at the world championships for example – to win it.
“He could become the youngest Quebecer in history to obtain the title of grandmaster,” said the director general of the Quebec Chess Federation (FQE), Richard Bérubé.
Some 1,200 chess players are international grandmasters, according to the FQE, including Quebecers Kevin Spragget, Pascal Charbonneau and Thomas Roussel-Roozmon, who received this title at the age of 22.
Several victories
Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux, who was aiming for the top 5 or possibly top 3 at the World Youth Chess Championships instead, he humbly says, had previously won the Canadian Championship, which was held in Hamilton, Ont., in July .
This victory allowed him to represent Canada in Romania.
However, it was not his first participation in the world championships. As early as 2013, he had taken part in those then taking place in the United Arab Emirates, “one of the best experiences of my life”, reports Mr. Rodrigue-Lemieux.
“I started playing [aux échecs] in extracurricular courses when I was in elementary school and I immediately had the sting, he testifies. And, quickly, I made quite important tournaments. »
Having turned 18 this year, it was his last opportunity to compete in the youth-only championships. However, he already takes part in tournaments open to all ages.
A student at the Collège de Maisonneuve in human sciences, with a specialization in law, Mr. Rodrigue-Lemieux wishes to continue his studies, but does not rule out a career in chess.
“Clearly, I want to go to university, but chess is also going to be part of my future,” he concludes.