2019 U.S. Junior Championship

Nicolas Checa is a junior at Dobbs Ferry High School in New York. He completed the Grandmaster requirements in November of 2018 and the title was approved by FIDE in March of 2019. Nicolas is the 2019 National High School Champion and the 2017 National High School Blitz Champion. In 2017 he was part of the American U-17 team in the “Match of the Millennials” played in Saint Louis. Also in 2017, he won the Marshall Chess Club Championship. In 2013, Nicolas won the New York State Championship as an 11-year old becoming the youngest New York State Champion in history. Since then, he has won several scholastic titles at the state level. In the summer of 2018, he served as a Senate Page representing New York in the United States Senate in Washington, DC. 

John Burke earned his Grandmaster title in April 2018.  John is a resident of Brick, NJ, and has earned multiple New Jersey State championships, as well as multiple U.S. Chess All-American team designations.  In 2015, he became the youngest junior to surpass a rating of 2600 FIDE.  John has played at the Saint Louis Chess Club many times before and finished in first place in the 2017 Saint Louis Invitational.  He is the reigning U.S. Masters Champion.

Awonder was born in Madison, Wisconsin on April 9, 2003, and has lived there his whole life.  He is currently the number one rated chess player in the world for his age. Awonder is also a two-time World Youth chess champion, as well as creator and keeper of many youth chess records.  Liang was the youngest U.S. player ever to achieve the International Master title, and the second youngest to achieve the GM title (after Sam Sevian).  Liang is the two-time defending champion at this event, and will hope to make it a three-peat this year.