S’Chartres chess genius Marc’Andria Maurizzi became the 2023 world junior champion

A draw in the last round and here he is – the 2023 young world chess champion. This Sunday, October 1st, in Mexico City (Mexico), young prodigy Marc’Andria Maurizzi joined the table of the greatest. The S’Shartras chess player achieved a perfect championship in three years. “It’s indescribable, eleven rounds without losing power! ” emphasizes François Gilles, President of C’Chartres Échecs (CCE). “Everyone is amazed. We know he has talent, but with this level he has moved on to the next stage,” comments a person who followed the World Cup 9,000 km from Mexico.

“I wasn’t the favorite, but I told myself: Maybe »

The incredible performance of the very young “Marquand”, 16 years old, allows him to appear in the most select club of French crowned under 20s, following the performances of Joël Lautier, who won the title in 1988 at 15, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. , world number five, crowned in 2009 at the age of 19. “I’m very glad, everything went well for me! I was not the favorite, but the number 1 lost, so I told myself it was possible,” says the new world champion humbly.

On the other side of the Atlantic, in Chartres (Eyr et Loire), Francois Gilles did not miss any of the exploits of his club’s prodigy. The president remains amazed by the skill of his young protégé: “He signed one of the most beautiful games of the year in the seventh or eighth game. He had a racer in his hands, his creativity was exceptional. From the fifth round he was in the lead and never left the lead. He did it with a skill that impressed everyone.”

Win or Draw for Coronation

To win, the young Corsican had to win or draw in the last round. After a quick draw in the 10th round with black pieces, the CCE licensee had the advantage of white pieces in the eleventh and final round to face Luka Budisavljevic, the only player tied on points with the Frenchman leading the competition. “There was stress, I played well,” the teenager admits. There was a lot at stake and it wasn’t easy, but everything ended well,” the Corsican smiles.

Because when you open the game with Sicilian RossolimoThe Serbian, the youngest grandmaster in the history of chess in his country (16 years, 10 months and 7 days), showed himself to be particularly well prepared. But the Frenchman defended himself well. “In the last game, the opponent tried to push him, but they couldn’t shake him. He wasn’t wrong. He played wait-and-see, more aggressively, he knew how to change the system of play, he bluffed, it’s incredible,” exclaims Francois Gilles.

C’Chartres Échecs, champion nursery

With this half-point, the precocious Frenchman MarcAndria Maurizzi won the prestigious world title at just 16 years old, becoming the youngest French International Master at 12 years old and achieving International Grandmaster status at 14 years old. World U20 champion at 16 years old, this is incredible. The performance is reminiscent of that of another Chartres prodigy, Alireza Firouzja, who was ranked world number two in chess at the age of 18 in November 2021. “There is an influence, we see it. This attracts young people. It’s amazing,” admits the happy director of the 360-member organization C’Chartres Échecs.

Now the young Corsican just has to rise to the last level – world champion. “There is a desire, but there is still time,” the chess master moderates. I have four years left in the juniors, I’ll try to achieve a double, and then I’ll do everything to become a world champion,” says Marc’Andria. Five World Junior Championship winners have achieved this feat. For women, Zhu Chen, and for men: Boris Spassky, Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov and Viswanathan Anand. If Marc’Andria Maurizzi had succeeded, he would have become the first Frenchman!