{"id":1943,"date":"2026-05-03T15:48:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T15:48:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/?p=1943"},"modified":"2026-05-03T15:48:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T15:48:08","slug":"europes-brightest-young-chess-players-convene-in-munich-for-kasparov-young-stars-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/?p=1943","title":{"rendered":"Europe\u2019s Brightest Young Chess Players Convene in Munich for Kasparov Young Stars Program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The next generation of chess talent continues to take shape across Europe, as the Kasparov Chess Foundation hosted another dynamic qualifying training session for its prestigious Young Stars program\u2014this time in Munich, Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Held at the renowned FC Bayern Academy, the session brought together some of the most promising young players from across the continent for an intensive period of training, competition, and development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Elite Coaching Meets Emerging Talent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The training was led by an exceptional team of coaches, including Roman Vidonyak, Michael Khodarkovsky, and Adrian Mikhalchishin\u2014all highly respected figures in the global chess community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under their guidance, participants were challenged to elevate their strategic thinking, refine their techniques, and gain valuable insights that go far beyond the chessboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Strong International Field<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Munich session featured a diverse and talented group of young competitors, representing multiple countries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#x1f1e9;&#x1f1ea; Shen Tingrei<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#x1f1e9;&#x1f1ea; Anton Belin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#x1f1fa;&#x1f1e6; Oleksiy Nakonechnyj<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#x1f1ec;&#x1f1e7; Bodhana Sivanandan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#x1f1ec;&#x1f1e7; Supratit Banerjee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1000143264.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1000143264-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1944\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1000143264-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1000143264-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1000143264-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1000143264-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1000143264.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Road to Slovenia\u2014and Beyond<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For several participants, Munich is just one step in a larger journey. Top performers will continue on to the Kasparov Chess Foundation Friendship Festival in Slovenia, scheduled for June 25 through July 5. There, they\u2019ll compete and train alongside peers from around the world, gaining invaluable international experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Chance to Train with a Legend<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The strongest qualifiers from the program will earn a coveted opportunity: an exclusive training session with world chess legend Garry Kasparov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This elite experience will take place in July in Zagreb, Croatia, alongside the Super Rapid &amp; Blitz Croatia 2026 \u2014 one of the premier events on the Grand Chess Tour calendar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For these rising stars, it\u2019s more than just a training session, it\u2019s a rare chance to learn directly from one of the greatest minds in the history of the game, in a setting that connects them to the highest levels of professional chess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Notable Champions &amp; Elite Players from Young Stars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Several <strong>top grandmasters and champions<\/strong> have come through the Kasparov Chess Foundation Young Stars program\u2014especially on the U.S. side, where the track record is strongest and best documented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some of the most prominent graduates from the program:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Jeffery Xiong<\/strong> \u2013 Grandmaster and former U.S. Junior Champion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sam Sevian<\/strong> \u2013 Grandmaster and former U.S. prodigy record-holder<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Abhimanyu Mishra<\/strong> \u2013 Became the <strong>youngest GM in history<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Christopher Yoo<\/strong> \u2013 Grandmaster and top U.S. junior<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Awonder Liang<\/strong> \u2013 Grandmaster and U.S. Champion contender<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Jonas Bjerre<\/strong> \u2013 Grandmaster and European elite player<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Alice Lee<\/strong> \u2013 One of the top young female players globally<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Carissa Yip<\/strong> \u2013 U.S. Women\u2019s Champion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of these players participated in the program as kids and went on to become grandmasters or national champions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Building the Future of the Game<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Kasparov Chess Foundation&#8217;s Young Stars initiative continues to play a vital role in identifying and nurturing the next generation of chess talent. By combining world-class coaching, international competition, and exposure to elite events and players, the program provides young players with a pathway to excellence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The next generation of chess talent continues to take shape across Europe, as the Kasparov Chess Foundation hosted another dynamic qualifying training session for its prestigious Young Stars program\u2014this time in Munich, Germany. Held at the renowned FC Bayern Academy, the session brought together some of the most promising young players from across the continent [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1943"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1943\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1945,"href":"https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1943\/revisions\/1945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kasparovchessfoundation.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}