Chelmsford 9-Year Old Is Now Youngest Chess 'Expert'

A fifth-grader at Chelmsford’s McCarthy Middle School is a better chess player than 93 percent of the players registered with the U.S. Chess Federation, according to the Lowell Sun.

That means she's better than more than 51,000 other chess-lovers.

Earlier this month, Carissa Yip reached expert level as a 9-year-old, making her the youngest chess expert since the chess federation started keeping electronic records in 1991.

Her father, Percy, said the 9-year-old could soon reach master level.

Carissa began playing competitively at MetroWest Chess Club and Wachusett Chess Club. At Wachusett, she’s the top-ranked player.

Her goal is to not only become the top female player, but also to one day become the first female overall champion. The U.S. Chess Federation ranks her in the top 2 percent of all female players.

At the Boylston Chess Club in Somerville, Carissa plays against a number of teenage boys.

“Even they say they were nowhere near this strength when they were that young,” Nathan Smokensky, the president of the Massachusetts Chess Association, told the Sun.

With her back to the board or eyes blindfolded, Carissa can read out moves to her father, keeping track of the entire board in her head, and win.

Her goal for the year is to reach 2,100. Anyone at 2,200 is a master. But Carissa doesn’t spend too much time thinking about her accomplishments.

“It’s not like the rating matters,” she told the Sun.