Hikaru Nakamura makes all the right moves. On December 5, the 16-year-old from White Plains, New York, won the U.S. Chess Championship. The 11-day tournament was held in San Diego, California. In the final match, Nakamura beat his 34-year-old opponent to win a prize of $25,000.
Nakamura is the youngest person to win the tournament since 1958. That year, Bobby Fischer won the competition at the age of 14.
Nakamura began playing in chess competitions when he was seven. At 15, he was considered one of the best chess players in the world. "Basically, everything has been a blur," he says.