The Next Bobby Fischer Is a Girl From Bellevue

Check. Mate. The current queen of the chess is Bellevue's own Megan Lee, a 12-year-old middle school student (12!), who cleared the chess board this past weekend to win the number one spot (and a four-year scholarship to the Univ. of Texas at Dallas) in the 18-years-and-younger division of the U.S. Chess Federation's All-Girls Nationals. Be on the lookout next time you think about playing chess in the park, an innocent sweet-voiced ringer (whose last read was Bobby Fischer’s 60 Memorable Games) may ~~take your money~~ be watching your every move.

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By Kim P. in News on April 30, 2009 9:15 AM

Comments [rss]

Troy Morris

And that's sexist. Assuming the 13 year-old boys would just stare at boobies.

bigyaz

I think the point of an all-girls division is similar to all-women's colleges: to provide an environment that allows them to be their best without the distractions of immature males.

Finn

Do you remember what you were like when you were 12? Could you formulate a strategy 30 moves ahead while sitting across the table from a girl of any simmilar age without your voice cracking and your mind wandering off into some vague sexual fantasy land? This probably has more to do with wanting to avoid crude attempts at humor when some 13 year-old dipshit turns "Knight to D8" into a breathy, ham-fisted innuendo directed at his feminine counterpart than it does with sexism.

Finn

Ah, yes the ever impressive "she's in a girls-only league" gambit. What are you, 12? Is this the 50's? Chess is not a physical sport and, the last time I checked, out-thinking a 17 year-old guy was a lot easier than out-thinking a 17 year-old girl. Who would you rather have making tactical decisions for you: a sex-addled pituitary case with the judgement of a dead possum or the girl that he is fantisizing about who happens to be good at Chess? I'd choose the pituitary case, but I also invested in Enron and GM.

Troy Morris

The girl in the article is actually 12. I think the point is still valid, why is there a boys and girls division in chess? I just don't get it.

Seattle Antagonist

Is your girlfriend staring over your shoulder while you write this? She is isn't she. Well, I hope you get brownie points for this.

Troy Morris

Thank you. That's what I'm saying. It just seems stupidly sexist.

Seattle Antagonist

Really, she is the champion of an all girls league. Doesn't sound very impressive to me. Now, if she takes down a few boys, I might be impressed.

I mean really, chess geeks have enough trouble achieving physical contact with the opposite sex, do they really need to be seperated?

Kim P.

Well considering that she's been primed for a life of chess playing since her early elementary school days, really, anything is possible at this point. I just hope for her sake, she finds friends not called Rook, Pawn and Bishop. Where are the theater kids when you need them?

Troy Morris

There's a girls division in fucking Chess?!

WTF year is this?

Finn

The next Bobby Fisher? Awesome. Fantastic. So, we can look forward to her playing a few years of brilliant chess after which she will become a tinfoil hat-wearing, fringe lunatic anti-semite who lives in Iceland and revokes her U.S. citizenship? Sweet!!! I can't wait see her at a press conference in 20 years with a collander strapped to her head like a bonnet, yelling at a wall about being all 'Jewy'.