New York Teenager Stakes His Place Among the Elite

Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine, who is ranked No. 27 in the world, became the youngest grandmaster when he was 12 years 7 months old. He is known for his intense approach. So is Fabiano Caruana, 16, who is ranked No. 84 and has been a full-time player for at least two years.

Then there is Robert Hess, 17. He is an international master, the level below grandmaster, and is a junior at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan. Last year, at the Foxwoods Open in Connecticut, he earned the first of three norms necessary to become a grandmaster.