Caleb Levitan may only be 14, but his chess career has already soared beyond his years. Now, he’s set to make history for South Africa as the youngest chess champ to compete amongst giants at the upcoming Chess Olympiad—the World Cup of chess!
Global (02 September 2024) — 14-year-old chess prodigy and FIDE Master Caleb Levitan stands at the cusp of making history for South Africa.
After securing his first major chess achievement in 2018, when he and his twin Judah won the African Youth Chess Championships in Kenya, Caleb’s path unfolded in black and white checkered victories.
Not only has he won multiple titles at the South African Junior Chess Championships, he also became the U-16 Champion at a tender 12-years-old. Across the pond, he and his brother represented South Africa in Azerbaijan for the u-16 Youth Olympiad in 2022—making their home nation enormously proud as they tackled the international stage with experience far beyond their years.
Now, Caleb sits with a team of South African chess giants—the national men’s team—as they prepare to face off against other legends of the board at the upcoming Chess Olympiad set to be held in Budapest from 11-22 September.
Caleb’s history-making moment is that his participation in the Chess Olympiad (understood as the World Cup of chess) would make him the youngest South African ever to have competed in the event.
Caleb is the youngest member of the men’s team, who are already youthful in their own right. They are International Master (IM) Daniel Cawdery, FIDE Master (FM) Daniel Barrish, IM Jan Karsten and FM Banele Mhango.
Says Shaun Levitan:
“Caleb’s selection to the Olympiad teams is a testament to his exceptional talent and hard work. He earned his place following an outstanding performance at the South African Closed Chess Championships in Newlands, Cape Town, in April. Competing against the country’s top 12 players, Caleb secured a remarkable second-place finish, solidifying his spot on the national team.”
Caleb beams:
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