He was going to the French chess championship with the aim of “winning at least one victory”. And it is therefore a huge success. The young Younes Mohamed Hemdan, only six years old, had a great adventure, in Vichy, all last week. Between Wednesday and Sunday, the boy, dismissed at the Paimpol chess club (22), played nine games. And won three. At the rate of two duels a day, matches in the format “50 minutes + ten seconds per blow”, it was a question of staying concentrated each time for almost two hours. A last Sunday round closed which, at this age, constitutes an authentic marathon.
“We were afraid”
Its final classification – 122nd – is anecdotal. Of the 144 engaged, 107 other young people end with the same score as him. “The level is stunning and very homogeneous,” says his father Mohamed, player in National 4 with the first team of Dédeou Paimpol. A performance accompanied by a little fear: “We were afraid. The first days without victory had started his morale and, therefore, ours, testifies Ludivine, his mother. Finally, there were victories and the smile returned ”.
For the young boy, this first national experience is very promising. He remains one of the youngest candidates in his age category and will be able to “return”, in 2026, with one year of experience in addition. “These nine games have already allowed him to progress a lot, with great lessons to be learned and a good motivation to continue,” concludes his dad, “proud” of this first course.
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