Olentangy seventh grade chess prodigy makes U.S. history

LEWIS CENTER, Ohio (WCMH) — Last month, Olentangy Berlin middle school student Keya Jha did something no girl her age has ever done before in the United States.

At 10 years, 9 months and 2 days old, she beat a Grandmaster in a competitive game of chess, making her the youngest ever to do so.

"I started playing chess when I was 4 and a half years old, but I started playing chess tournaments around age 7," said Jha.

In nearly four years since, Jha has become one of the best young players on the planet.

"Kind of like how it exercises your brain a lot. Plus, it's always fun to win a game and do puzzles," said Jha.

She's done a lot of winning too, including the state tournament last year. But nothing beats winning the Joe Yun Memorial Tournament in Akron, when she beat Grandmaster Bryan Smith in the final round, when he ran out of time in the endgame.

“I wasn't too scared because someone with my rating had been able to beat him just a few years ago so I was a bit confident, but I knew he would not give up without a fight," said Jha.

I challenged Jha to a game of chess after the interview and as expected, it did not go well for me, a one-time regular chess player in elementary and middle school. Keya beat me in 17 moves.

Needless to say, I'm not quite competitive enough for her, but thankfully, there is plenty more as she strives for her goal of being a National Master soon and maybe one day, a Grandmaster herself.

For more proof of just how impressive a young person Jha is, she's already in the seventh grade at 10 years old, having skipped two grades already. She's also a competitive ping pong player and a black belt in taekwondo.