Teen King

Niles North teen is U.S. chess king
BY MATT WILHALME Staff Reporter
May 9, 2011 02:09AM

Eric Rosen, 17, first began playing chess the summer before he started second grade, but by the time spring break rolled around, his dad couldn’t beat him anymore.

“We didn’t know it at the time,” his father Brad Rosen said, “but life would never be the same.”

Last week, the junior at Niles North High School became the United States Chess Federation K12 national champion at a tournament in Nashville, Tenn.

Eric Rosen won the title after going undefeated through seven rounds. He rolled to victory after a tense sixth-round matchup against Aleksandr Ostrovskiy, a so-called FIDE Master. FIDE Masters are internationally recognized in the chess community and are on path to possibly become a Grand Master, the highest rating.

The Skokie native nervously watched Ostrovskiy move his pieces until he realized his opponent’s game plan.

“The first 11 moves of the game had been on my computer screen the night before,” said Rosen, who studied several of Ostrovskiy’s previous games in preparation for the match.

By the time he reached the final, Eric Rosen needed only a draw to win the national title, although he didn’t realize it at the time.

Over the years the national champion has played in hundreds of tournaments and at camps across the country and even helped his school win the state chess tournament in 2010. This year Niles North fell to Whitney Young in Illinois, but finished fourth nationally.

More here.

The upset artist

Niles North's Rosen Wins National Chess Championship

By Karyn Malench Yesterday at 2:43 p.m.

Niles North High School chess player Eric Rosen was crowned the National K12 Champion at the United States Chess Federation (USCF) National Tournament held April 28 through May 1 in Nashville, TN. Rosen was the tournament’s only undefeated competitor, beating FIDE Master Aleksandr Ostrovskiy in round six, which set up a match against International Master Marc Arnold for the seventh and final round. Rosen said, “After I won my sixth round game, my nervousness went away, and I felt I had nothing to lose. When I found out I was playing him, I had some time to prepare, and I went to my computer to look up some past tournament games he had played. During the game, I tried to zone everything out and just focus on the board. I was seated on a stage for the last round, but after five minutes, I forgot about everyone watching me.”

Rosen’s incredible grace under pressure allowed him to defeat Arnold, emerging as the tournament champion after three grueling days of seven rounds of play. Niles North Head Chess Coach Harry Kyriazes commented, “This remarkable accomplishment becomes even more extraordinary when one considers that games at the National tournament often take four hours to complete—the Vikings each played nearly eight hours the first day, twelve hours the second, and eight more on the final day of competition.”

The USCF website refers to Rosen’s win as “one of the most outstanding individual achievements in this tournament’s history.” For Rosen, his accomplishment is only just beginning to sink in. “I kept having to repeat to myself that I won the national championship. I remember when I was in second grade, and seeing players at Nationals who were playing on the stage and looking up to them, and it feels like I’ve come so far.”

Niles North Principal Dr. Ryan McTague said, “Niles North is so proud of Eric’s amazing USCF K12 National Championship. First and foremost, Eric is a positive role model whose commitment and dedication to our school and local community serves as an example to us all.” Dr. McTague proclaimed Friday, May 6 as Eric Rosen Day at Niles North High School. Rosen and his teammates will be feted at an afternoon celebration at the school.

Rosen, a junior, began playing chess when he was seven, and worked with renowned trainer Tamara Golovey. He currently trains with Grandmaster Dmitry Gurevich and is a member of the Chicago Blaze team of the United States Chess League. Rosen is the top-rated high school player in Illinois and he earned the title of Life Master in 2010. The Life Master designation is awarded once a player attains a rating of over 2,200 and maintains it for at least 300 chess games. The title is held for life.

Rosen’s latest accomplishment is no fluke. Since he started playing the game, he has steadily earned accolades and awards. He won the 2009 U.S. Junior Open and the 2010 High School Individual State Championship (Denker Qualifier). After his defeat of East Coast Grandmaster John Federowicz in the 2009 U.S. Open Chess Championship, Rosen said, “My goal is to break 2,300 and that’s called a FIDE Master and its one of the highest titles you can receive in chess.” Rosen, who is rated at 2,333, now says, “It would be nice to get my rating high enough to be invited to play in the U.S. Junior Closed. To do that, I definitely have to be over 2,400. My short-term goals are to do well in upcoming tournaments. I plan to play at the World Open in Philadelphia in July and a tournament for players at the Master level and above in Los Angeles in August.”

The ripple effects of Rosen’s national championship will be felt throughout the North Shore. Rosen’s parents were instrumental in starting a chess program at Middleton Elementary School when he was a student, and they helped to set up an informal drop-in chess program at the Skokie Public Library. Rosen mentors chess students at Sherwood Elementary School in Highland Park. He is generous with his talents and offers strategies and puzzles to help others raise their game. He said, “The most important thing is just to enjoy the game and strive to get better. Hard work also pays off. Learning from your losses and mistakes is also one of the most important things you can do in chess and in life—figuring out what your mistakes were and how you can prevent them next time.”

More here.

Unlocked

Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury is touted as a "love story." And it is a beautiful and sweet love story, though there's not really anything romantic about it. The love is deeper, and more broad than your typical boy/girl love story: the love of a mother for her distant child, the love of friends no matter how great the divide, the love a teacher feels for those pupils in his tutelage, and the love of God working miracles in the lives of each and every person in the novel.  It's a feel-good read, and I think it would be turned into a very tearful, emotional film.

The trouble comes in the fact that this story relies on some pretty serious chops from everybody involved. Nobody is just a place-holder, every character has some heavy emotional baggage, and you would need some talented people to pull it off.


First up, we have Tracy Harris. She was a young mother, and with her only son a senior in high school, would likely be in her late thirties or early forties. Her son, Holden, has the most severe case of autism possible. He doesn't talk and cannot handle the lightest physical contact. So Tracy hasn't hugged her son or heard his voice since he was three years old. She refuses to give up hope, and insists that a miracle is waiting for him still. She's the ultimate trooper, and carries an impossible burden almost completely by herself. I saw Lauren Graham and nobody else in this role.

talkingmoviezzz.blogspot.com

Suzanne Reynolds was Tracy's best friend for years, decades even. They went to school together, got married the same year, had babies only a few months apart and were completely inseparable. Until Tracy's son developed autism. Then Suzanne was unable to handle the pressures of being friends with the family, and she and her family pulled away completely. Over the years, she fell into the role of a trophy wife, and almost doesn't even remember the down-to-earth, happy life she had before. She wants desperately to reconnect; reconnect with her friends, her kids, even her God. I think somebody like Nicollette Sheridan could pull this role off. Honestly, is there more of a trophy-wife looking woman?

whyfame.com

Ella Reynolds is Suzanne's daughter, and was once Holden's best friend. Though a series of coincidences, she and Holden are enrolled at the same high school, though Emma doesn't know it until their senior year. She's the typical popular girl, she's blond, thin, pretty, rich and spoiled. All her friends are cheerleaders and her boyfriend is a varsity letterman. That is, until she sees just how cruel they all really are, and she pulls away. She ends up befriending Holden and helps to work the miracle that opens him up and pulls him out of his autistic prison. I pictured, and could not stop picturing, Katrina Bowden  and she looks right, but there's one catch: can she sing? Ella Reynolds has to be able to sing, as she is cast as Belle in the school's production of Beauty and the Beast. Since actors are constantly surprising me with their ability to sing, I'm going to leave her on here until somebody better presents themselves.

rtvchannel.tv

Dan Harris is Tracy's husband, and the father of the autistic boy, Holden. After the diagnosis, he fled. He didn't technically leave his family, but since he felt himself incapable of facing the harsh realities of day-to-day life with a full-blown autistic son, he went to be a deep-sea fisherman in Alaska. He loves his wife and his son, and eventually makes the right choice and goes back for good, facing his troubles and being a part of the solution. I saw somebody earnest, like Rob Estes

rottentomatoes.com

Manny is the drama teacher. He is passionate about his work, but is very cynical about what it is he is doing. He sees the drama program ending soon, and wants to go out on a high note, so to speak. I saw somebody highbrow and cultured, like  Victor Garber

broadwayworld.com

I know Victor Garber is way too big of an actor for such a small role, but you  know what I mean... somebody like him.


Michael Schwartz is a band nerd who plays the flute. He loves the flute, and he is not gay, despite all the jocks insistence otherwise. He is tortured and tormented by them. He reaches out to Holden, and protect him, but in the end, one bullied kid can't do much to protect another bullied kid. I saw Kevin McHale

tv.broadwayworld.com

LeShante is Ella's best friend. She is little miss popular: beautiful, trendy, head cheerleader and the only one who seems to be able to speak her mind without catching any backlash. She eventually sides with Ella and helps turn the tide against the bullies at the school. A girl like Katerina Graham would fit well here.

celebrity.hostforpic.com

Jake Collins is the typical tough-guy-jock-bully-man. He dates Ella, makes a bet that he'll sleep with her, pushes autistic kids around, and calls male flutists gay. You know, typical douche-bag stuff. How about somebody like  Andrew Lawrence? He looks like a party boy meat head, yeah?

raeweekly.blogspot.com

Holden Harris is a tough one. He's autistic. Fully autistic, so he doesn't speak. He doesn't make eye contact with anybody. He acts in a manner that most people would find bizarre. He does push-ups when he's overstimulated, he flaps his arms like wings, he spins in circles, he has a very specific routine that never deviates, not for anything. But, he is supposed to be devastatingly handsome, with fathomless blue eyes. Eventually, when Holden comes out of his shell, there is some very, very complicated acting that needs to get done, as well as some (SPOILER!) beautiful singing. I don't think anybody but  Zac Efron could pull this one off.

You can read my review of this book on Goodreads.com.