Israeli chess prodigy wins international under-9s championship

The victory in Greece is the latest in a number of impressive achievements in Noam Sasson's young chess career.

 Israeli chess prodigy Noam Sasson in Greece (photo credit: CHESS4ALL)
Israeli chess prodigy Noam Sasson in Greece
(photo credit: CHESS4ALL)

Eight-year-old Israeli student Noam Sasson won an international chess competition for children aged nine and under on Friday., held on the Greek island of Rhodes 

The Israeli chess prodigy earned his victory after a tense, nine-day battle with his Turkish counterpart for the top spot.

The victory in Greece is the latest in a number of impressive achievements in Sasson's young chess career.

Noam showed his potential when he won the Israeli chess championship for children aged 6 and under a number of years ago. Sasson also won an international chess championship held in southern England at only six years old.

Sasson celebrated his championship win draped in the Israeli flag and cheered on by the hundreds of competitors and fans at the international event.

 Israeli chess prodigy Noam Sasson in Greece (credit: CHESS4ALL)
Israeli chess prodigy Noam Sasson in Greece (credit: CHESS4ALL)

Sasson played as a representative of Chess4All, the Israeli chess organization responsible for the Chess4Solidarity initiative, in which Israelis and chess players from nations who do not have diplomatic relations with Israel compete against each other.