| Kangugi wa Karanja | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Kangugi wa Karanja |
| Country | United States / Kenya |
| Born | November 23, 1973 (age 50) New York, U.S. |
| Title | USCF National Master |
Kangugi "K. K." Karanja (born November 23, 1973) is an American chess player and former chess prodigy. He became a US Chess Federation Candidate Master at the age of 10. [1]
In 1985 at the age of 11, he won the National Elementary Chess Championship with a perfect 7–0 score (seven wins and no losses), becoming the first African-American to win a national scholastic title and the second African-American to win a national chess championship ( Frank Street Jr. was the first, winning the 1965 US Amateur Championship). [2] [ citation needed]
In 1985, Karanja also received the Laura Aspis Prize, granted annually to the top USCF-rated player under the age of 13. [3] Karanja qualified as the United States representative for the 1986 World Under-14 Chess Championship in San Juan, Puerto Rico. [4]
In 1987, Karanja was selected to the inaugural All-America Chess Team, which recognizes the top 0.1-0.2 percent of chess players age 18 years and younger. [5] Karanja also qualified for the 1987 U.S. Cadet Championship where only the top eight players under age 16 are invited to compete. [6]
In 1988, Karanja was selected to participate in a simultaneous exhibition held by Grandmaster and World Champion Garry Kasparov in New York, during Kasparov's first visit to America. [7] Of the 59 players to compete against Kasparov, only Karanja and fellow prodigy Josh Waitzkin held Kasparov to draws (the other 57 players lost). [8] [9]
In 1989, at the age of 15 years and 7 months, Karanja became a chess master, becoming the second youngest African-American at the time to achieve that feat behind Howard Daniels (15 years, 4 months). [1] He subsequently attended Carleton College. [6]
A sample of Karanja's ability is evidenced in the following game from the 1987 United States Cadet Chess Championship. [10]
Karanja retired from tournament play in 1990 with a rating of 2193. Karanja has written one book on chess and while living in Kenya was active in promoting chess. [1]
- ^ a b c "The Chess Drum's Historic Moments: Baraka Shabazz & K.K. Karanja"
- ^ "NEW YORK DAY BY DAY: Titleholders on East Side"[ permanent dead link] (broken link)
- ^ List of Aspis Prize Winners 1980-1994 by chessworld.org.
- ^ "KK Karanja"
- ^ "School Mates" chess magazine, Fall 1987.
- ^ a b The Chess Drum: "A Friend Reflects on KK Karanja" July 26, 2003
- ^ "People: Quints turning 18 Series", St. Petersburg Times, Feb 23, 1988, page 3A, reprinted at TampaBay.com
- ^ Chess Champ Checks Out U.S. Opponents
- ^ Reynolds, Maura, "Pupils No Match For Kasparov, Even Simultaneously", The New York Times, February 23, 1988.
- ^ Karanja-Seltzer