2014 U.S. Junior Closed Championship Player Bios
Kayden Troff
Title:
Grandmaster
Federation:
West Jordan, Utah
Age:
16
Status:
Accepted
Chess Highlights:
GM Title Awarded in May 2014; 2012: U14 World Youth Championship Gold Medal; 2010: U12 World Youth Championship Silver Medal; 2009: U12 North American Championship Gold Medal
Sam Sevian
Title:
International Master
Federation:
Southbridge, Mass.
Age:
13
Status:
Accepted
Chess Highlights:
2014 Saint Louis Invitational - GM Norm; 2014 Foxwoods Open - GM Norm; 2012: U12 World Youth Championship Gold Medal
Aleksandr Ostrovskiy
Title:
International Master
Federation:
New York City
Age:
18
Status:
Accepted
Chess Highlights:
2010: Youngest-ever NY State Champion (14) [record broken by Nicolas Checa, 11, in 2013]; 2007: North American Youth Champion
Luke Harmon-Vellotti
Title:
International Master
Federation:
Boise, Idaho
Age:
15
Status:
Accepted
Chess Highlights:
Finished Freshman Year at UCLA at age 15; 1st Place National Open 2008 (U2100 Section); 5-time All-American Chess Team member
Jeffrey Xiong
Title:
International Master
Federation:
Coppell, Texas
Age:
13
Status:
Accepted
Chess Highlights:
2014 Chicago Open: GM Norm; 2010 World Youth Chess Championships Silver Medal
Michael Bodek
Title:
FIDE Master
Federation:
New Rochelle, New York
Age:
16
Status:
Accepted
Chess Highlights:
GM Norm: 2013 NY International; 2012 U.S. Cadet Championship
Arthur Shen
Title:
FIDE Master
Federation:
Edison, New Jersey
Age:
17
Status:
Accepted
Chess Highlights:
2011 U.S. Cadet Championship; 2013 USCF All-America Chess Team; Recognized by the U.S. Chess Trust as a 2014 Scholar Chess Player Award winner.
Joshua Colas
Title:
National Master
Federation:
White Plains, New York
Age:
15
Status:
Accepted
Chess Highlights:
Holds Record as youngest-ever African-American Chess Master (preceded by Justus Williams); 2013 New York State High School Chess Champion; USCF All-American: 2010-2013
Justus Williams
Title:
FIDE Master
Federation:
New York City
Age:
16
Status:
Accepted
Chess Highlights:
2013 U.S. Junior Open Champion; Set record as youngest-ever African-American Chess Master in 2012 (subsequently broken by Joshua Colas); 2012, 2011, 2010 U.S. All American Team, member of 2012 National High School Championship team
Matt Larson
Title:
National Master
Federation:
Saint Louis, Missouri
Age:
17
Status:
Accepted
Chess Highlights:
Undefeated performance at North American Open in Las Vegas: 2013