Fifteen-year-old GM Andy Woodward received the 2025 Beneath 16 ChessKid Youth Championship after beating 14-year-old GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus within the Closing. It was payback towards final 12 months’s winner, who eradicated Woodward within the 2024 Semifinals. Woodward earned $3,000, whereas $2,000 went to the runner-up.
Knockout Bracket
Similar to within the under-13 match a month in the past, 12 contestants had been break up into two teams of six, Group A and Group B. After a double round-robin, the top-two gamers of every group would advance to a knockout bracket. Regardless of the cap being simply three years older, this discipline was a lot stronger than the final; each single participant was at the very least a global grasp (technically, IM-elect Tani Adewumi met the {qualifications} and is simply ready for his title to be confirmed).
Each participant earned at the very least $200, with the highest prize of $3,000 awarded to Woodward.
Group A: Erdogmus, Materia Qualify
Tiebreaks for Second
Erdogmus was arguably the favourite to win the occasion, contemplating he received it final 12 months on the tender age of 13, proper when he was a GM-elect. “That is the man, Mike, I will not be actually stunned to interrupt the 2700 Elo within the coming years,” mentioned commentator GM Arturs Neiksans within the opening remarks of the present. GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov was not too long ago quoted as saying that the teenager is the “largest candidate to change into a world champion” in a put up on X.
GM Shreyas Royal had the perfect possibilities of anybody towards Erdogmus. Of their first recreation, the Turkish star performed a doubtful knight sacrifice that was too difficult to defend towards in blitz, even when the pc laughs at it. If 32…Qg7 or 32…Ng7 had been performed, it might be attention-grabbing to see what Erdogmus would have provide you with to proceed the assault.
Shreyas had a a lot greater likelihood of their second recreation, although neither participant had any time to suppose within the scramble. 28.Qe5 would have ended the sport on the spot.
IMs Marco Materia and Yu Tian Poh tied in second, each with six factors. Materia received each tiebreak video games to qualify for the Knockout. That mentioned, Materia might have made his life simpler by successful in spherical 10, when he accepted a draw as a result of he (erroneously) thought it might clinch second place.
Materia mentioned his favourite recreation of the day was the primary, the place he gained the initiative beginning with 27.e5!. From there, his opponent was pushed again on each transfer till the handed e-pawn determined the sport.
Group B: Woodward, Oro Qualify
Like within the different group, the favourite completed in first—although Woodward received by a fair larger margin. He received each single recreation aside from one draw towards GM Abhimanyu Mishra in spherical seven. One in every of his targets, he mentioned after taking part in final 12 months, was to play quicker.
The 2 video games that caught out to him essentially the most had been towards Mishra and Adewumi. Woodward mentioned, “Each of them I used to be lifeless misplaced, however it got here all the way down to a time scramble the place I simply acquired fairly fortunate.” Although he was doubtless speaking about his second recreation towards Mishra, the primary featured a wild pawn race within the rook endgame, one which the pc often claims needs to be a draw, however that is by no means so clear in a human recreation. Particularly in blitz.
Oro, who had simply performed an exhibition match towards GM Viswanathan Anand final week, completed in second. By scoring six wins out of his first seven video games, it did not even matter that Oro solely scored a half-point out of the final three. It was sufficient for the 11-year-old to qualify.
Knockout: Woodward Wins After Taking A Basketball Break
Semifinals: Erdogmus and Woodward Advance
Erdogmus 3-1 Oro
Erdogmus misplaced the very first recreation towards Oro, however he struck again and received the following three to shut out the match. The final recreation was, by far, the prettiest, the place Erdogmus took about six seconds to play a successful queen sacrifice. Oro took the queen and allowed the pressured checkmate:
Woodward 3-0 Materia
Woodward, alternatively, received all three video games towards Materia. In recreation two, he confirmed that in blitz the target analysis is not crucial issue; as an alternative, it is all about who can create sensible threats. Down an change, and objectively misplaced, Woodward managed to win.
Closing: Woodward 4-2 Erdogmus
Woodward mentioned that between the Closing of the 2025 Chess.com Puzzles Championship towards GM Ray Robson and this one, it was this Closing towards Erdogmus that made him extra nervous.
Woodward received the primary two video games, however then he misplaced the third simply earlier than heading right into a break. In a time scramble, he allowed Erdogmus to execute a reasonably checkmating assault with three items. This might have been a turning level, as Erdogmus received this recreation and the following.
Woodward later shared, “I used to be after all a bit bit irritated at myself, however I suppose I simply tried to get my thoughts off it by taking part in some basketball.” That is proper, he went exterior, shot an actual basketball right into a hoop through the five-minute break, and got here again to win the championship.
After Woodward dropped one other loss, the rating was even at 2-2, however he went on to win the final two video games. The final vital second of the match was Erdogmus’ determined knight sacrifice, 22.Nh5!?—one that’s utterly unsound however would possibly fluster an opponent with one minute on the clock. Woodward, who solely wanted a draw, mentioned, “From the beginning, I wasn’t even contemplating taking the knight,” and he went on to achieve an equal rook endgame—one the place he’d win on time.
That is two titles this 12 months for Woodward, who can be the 2025 Chess.com puzzle champion. As for over-the-board occasions, he has two scheduled for July: the World Open after which the U.S. Junior Championship. Good luck to Andy at each of them!
The ChessKid Youth Championship is Chess.com’s prime occasion for the following era of the chess elite. The under-16 part occurred June 7-8, with two six-player teams the place the gamers competed in a double round-robin. The highest two gamers certified for the knockout, the place the semifinal was best-of-four and the ultimate best-of-six. All video games had been performed with the three+1 time management and the prize fund was $7,500, with $3,000 for first place.
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