Boston Teen Vying For American Chess Crown
BOSTON (CBS) -- The next American chess champion might call Boston home.
Sam Sevian, 14, is among the nation's top 12 chess players heading to the U.S. Chess Championship. He currently holds the record of youngest American International Master ever.
His father taught him how to play when he was 5 years old. He's also been mentored by chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov.
"I fell in love with the game," Sevian told WBZ NewsRadio 1030. "I play to win."
Sevian said he spends six or seven hours a day studying chess, and he finds it difficult to describe his devotion.
"It's hard to explain to someone who doesn't really play chess," he said. "It's like explaining music to a deaf person."
Stevian really just wants more people to play.
"It's a beautiful game," he said. "I just want them to learn it."
The championships start Tuesday and run through April 13 in St. Louis.