Moulthun Ly: Youngest ever junior champ?

[pax]

Is Moulthun Ly the youngest ever Australian Junior Champion? If so, it should be worth a good slant on the publicity.

I gather he is recently turned 13.

Rogers was 15. Trevor Tao was about 14 I think? Pizzato was 14, Smerdon was 14, Zhao was 14, Lee Jones was 14 (the first time), Shane Hill was 14. Am I detecting a trend here?

Does anyone know if there were any young ones in the titles prior to 85?

The records are here:
http://www.auschess.org.au/acfrec.htm

[pax]

Speck was 13 the first time he won, but an older 13 than Moulthun.

[Rhubarb]

Speck was 13 the first time he won, but an older 13 than Moulthun.

1987 was won by Colin Davis, not Speck, so the records need to be changed. Edit: sent Paul B an email.

[Alan Shore]

Congrats Moulthun! A fantastic achievement and he's a QLDer too

[Bill Gletsos]

Is Moulthun Ly the youngest ever Australian Junior Champion? If so, it should be worth a good slant on the publicity.

I gather he is recently turned 13.

Rogers was 15. Trevor Tao was about 14 I think? Pizzato was 14, Smerdon was 14, Zhao was 14, Lee Jones was 14 (the first time), Shane Hill was 14. Am I detecting a trend here?

Does anyone know if there were any young ones in the titles prior to 85?

The records are here:
http://www.auschess.org.au/acfrec.htm

Tao was 15 when he won.

Josef Hortovanyi was only 14 when he won it in 1952.
Greg Melrose was 15.

Ly is 13 years 2 mths.

[Bill Gletsos]

All winners from 1949-1966 were 17 except Purdy (15) in 51, Hortovanyi (14) in 52, Robson (16) in 54, Lay (16) in 60, Hay (15) in 61, Alexander (15?) in 62, Kerr (16) in 64.

[pax]

All winners from 1949-1966 were 17 except Purdy (15) in 51, Hortovanyi (14) in 52, Robson (16) in 54, Lay (16) in 60, Hay (15) in 61, Alexander (15?) in 62, Kerr (16) in 64.

Nice work. Where did you find this info?

[Bill Gletsos]

Purdy had it summaried in various Chess Worlds up to about 1960.
After that I checked them individually.

[Don_Harrison]

Whether Master Ly is the youngest, the oldest, the not quite youngest or somewhere in between is pretty much irrelevant. Just well done. Sad Master S was not teh champ as he played vvery well throughout. A most enjoyable competition and thank you.

[pax]

Whether Master Ly is the youngest, the oldest, the not quite youngest or somewhere in between is pretty much irrelevant. Just well done. Sad Master S was not teh champ as he played vvery well throughout. A most enjoyable competition and thank you.

Well done in either case, but certainly not irrelevant.

"Youngest ever Australian Junior Champ" is a hook for publicity, and that is all to the good. "Youngest ever" achievments always rate more publicity than otherwise. Why else do you think Karjakin, Carlsen, Nakamura get far more publicity than their older and stronger counterparts (and similarly Radjabov, Leko, J Polgar, Fischer before).

[Don_Harrison]

"Youngest ever Australian Junior Champ" is a hook for publicity, and that is all to the good.

On that I agree, if it were exploited (Yep, Master Ly, child exploitation!) which, regrettably, it hasn't been. Seen anything in the front section - up to page 6 - of the newspapers about Elena Sedina, Australian Open Champion? I haven't. And it is highly likely that you will not, by the same token, read anything about Master Ly. Your idea is great but no one seems to have the ability or wit to grasp the opportunity and be "in your face" about it with the media. Too late now.

[Libby]

Well, my media release has gone out ... don't think I quite mentioned Moulthun but yes, I exploited our "youngest participant" angle with Megan Setiabudi winning 2nd in the u10 girls.