Pitt Meadows 12-year-old chess prodigy plays 22 opponents simultaneously

Pitt Meadows chess prodigy Lucas Yao played 22 opponents at once during a promotional event at Vancouver’s Oakridge Park shopping mall. The 12-year-old was invited to help launch the mall’s upcoming Monday chess events.

In the 22-board simultaneous exhibition, known as a chess simul, Yao faced children and adults. He won 17 games, drew two and lost three. The event ran from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Yao said the exhibition was challenging because every board presented a different position and he had to manage time without knowing his opponents in advance. Without careful time management, he said, the event could have continued past the mall’s closing time.

Yao began playing chess at five and earned the FIDE Master title at 11, making him Canada’s youngest active FIDE Master. FIDE is the International Chess Federation. A former Canadian Youth Chess Champion, he has represented Canada internationally several times.

Most recently, Yao represented Canada with his school team at the World Schools Team Chess Championship in Costa Rica, where the team won bronze. He said the team format required players to rely on teammates’ points when necessary, discuss plans and encourage one another. A team from Peru finished first and a team from the United States placed second.

Yao is also a pianist. He composed his first piece at four and performed at Carnegie Hall at five. By age seven, he could recite 2,030 digits of pi and was ranked fifth in the country at the time on the World Pi Ranking list.

His goal is to become a chess grandmaster, and he is currently working toward the international master title. His mother, Cindy Liu, said travel, accommodation, coaching and other competition costs are difficult. The family is exploring sponsorships, donations, community partnerships, and opportunities for Yao to teach chess classes or hold exhibitions.