12-Year-Old Maltese Chess Prodigy Nick Calleja Shines At International Festival
Young chess prodigy Nick Calleja Urry, aged just 12, has made Malta proud with his exceptional performance at the 23rd International Chess Festival of Saint-Lô, held in Normandy, France in July.
Competing against a strong field, he achieved an impressive sixth place out of 113 players.
Nick participated in the under-12 and under-1400 category, where he showed his skills against opponents hailing from France, Lithuania, Nigeria, and the Czech Republic.
Across the eleven rounds of intense strategic play, he secured seven wins, two draws, and just two losses. Notably, Nick went on an unbeaten streak of six games, finishing the tournament with a total of eight points, just a single point away from securing second place.
This achievement gains more significance when considering Nick’s performance rating for this tournament, which was more than 200 points above his current ranking, according to a post-game analysis rating system.
Nick started on his chess journey at the remarkably young age of five. His talent has since been recognised at both national and international levels.
He was chosen to represent Malta at the European Youth Chess Championships twice, in 2019 and 2022, held in Slovakia and Turkey respectively.
Nick’s next challenge awaits at the 2023 edition of the European Youth Chess Championships, scheduled to take place in Mamaia, Romania this September. .
Well done Nick!