Bobby Cheng

Bobby Cheng in 2010
Country	Australia
Born	20 March 1997 Auckland, New Zealand
Title	International Master
World Champion	2009 Under 12
Peak rating	2377 (Jan 2013)

Bobby Cheng (born 20 March 1997 in Auckland, New Zealand) is an Australian chess champion, former U12 World Champion and two-time Australian Junior Player of the Year.

Biography

Cheng came to public attention at age eight when he was singled out in 2005 for praise by British grandmaster Nigel Short. Born in New Zealand, his trainers were Bruce Wheeler and Ewen Green,. He finished tied for third in the World U/10 Championships in 2007, the year he and his family moved to Melbourne. Cheng is best known for being Australia's first Under-12 World Chess Champion, a title he won in 2009 in Kemer, Turkey. Cheng won the Australian Junior Championships in January 2010 at age 12, the youngest player ever to do so, won the same title again in 2011, and was awarded the title of Australian Junior Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010. In 2011 Cheng became the youngest ever winner of the Victorian Championship title, finishing ahead of Grandmaster Darryl Johansen. In 2012 at 14 Cheng tied for the Australian Masters title, though this was not a new age record as he was tied with 11-year-old Anton Smirnov. In January 2013 Cheng won the Australian Open Championship, the youngest player ever to do so. This result also secured Cheng the International Master title. He graduated from Melbourne High School in 2014.