"My opponent left a glass of whisky 'en prise' and I took it 'en passant". - Henry Blackburne | SINCE 2007

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Joshua Colas




WHITE PLAINS — Chess prodigy Joshua Colas has already begun receiving help to fund his upcoming trip to Greece, where he has been invited to represent the United States in the "Boys 12 and Under" level at the World Youth Chess Championship in Halkidiki.

The White Plains Foundation for Public Education is accepting donations to help send Joshua and his father to Greece in October. Total expenses for the two-week tournament are estimated at $5,000. Donations will also help get Joshua a personal chess coach. A top-level coach, a grandmaster, is estimated to cost $7,500 to $10,000 per year.
Joshua also will appear on Fox TV's "Good Day New York" on Wednesday morning, when he will compete live against White Plains Middle School chess team co-captain Michael Ainsworth, 11, in "speed chess."
Joshua is the national champion in speed chess and is ranked No. 1 in the country, and Michael, son of Ray Ainsworth, the middle school's chess coordinator, is ranked in the top 20.
The elder Ainsworth received about 30 telephone calls last week from people looking to help Joshua achieve his goal of becoming the youngest African-American chess master in the world. The White Plains Rotary Club also is interested in Joshua's chess career and has reached out to Ray Ainsworth and the Colas family.
"We have gotten a very positive response overall," Ainsworth said.

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