Getting to know Chicago teen chess phenom Avi Kaplan

In case anyone was wondering, no, Avi Kaplan cannot stare at the ceiling and see a chess game in vivid detail à la Beth Harmon in The Queen’s Gambit .

It’s one of those silly questions a 15-year old rising star in the sport learns to anticipate.

But Kaplan, a Jewish Lane Tech College Prep freshman and Lincoln Park resident, does have something special going on in his noggin. Whatever it is–a gift?–it enables him to solve geometry problems without picking up a pencil, to memorize locations of the farthest-flung countries in geography class and, indeed, to close his eyes and replay each game of a chess tournament.

“Yeah,” he confirms, “I can remember a lot.”

Even better? He works his tail off at it.

Kaplan has spent so many hours bellied up to a chess board since he was in first grade, he has bloomed into the Chicago Public Schools’ highest-rated player and a force on the national scene. He finished second among all ninth graders at the U.S. Chess Federation’s 2021 National K-12 Grade Championships in Orlando, Fla. His chess rating of 2,150 is closing in on the 2,200 required to reach master status.

The 100-plus trophies he has won along the way aren’t so bad. Neither was the $1,300 he won- playing against adults-at the North American Open held at Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel & Casino in December.

“That was really fun,” he said. “Really nerve-racking and kind of stressful, but really fun.”

Kaplan enjoys the social aspect of chess and has met many of his friends in that world. He has met some characters, too, like the first-round opponent in Orlando who made him laugh before their match by saying, “I’m dead. I’m done. Just make it quick.”

But it’s serious business playing a game in which one false move, one mental letdown can be ruinous. That’s why Kaplan, who hopes to someday reach grand-master status–which requires a rating of 2,500-doesn’t just fit chess into his schedule. It’s why, instead, he makes maneuvers like doing all the homework he can at school so, with the decks cleared at home, he can give hours of undivided attention to it.

In Kaplan’s case, there’s undoubtedly a blend of hard work and considerable talent.

“I think something I’m really good at is thinking outside of the box and coming up with creativity in it,” he said. “Because a lot of people kind of just play what they know, and they have a computer before the game that they review and they kind of only use that. I feel like I do really well when it’s unknown positions and I come up with my own strategies. I think that’s where I stand apart.”

What goes into that? Flexibility, Kaplan figures. Confidence, too. And if he won’t say it, we will: It also takes some chutzpah.

“Sometimes when you’re playing a competitive match, you’re scared to make a bad move,” he said. “But you just have to be confident and trust your gut to make whatever move you’re making.”

Another thing Kaplan possesses: the ability to lose. That doesn’t mean he enjoys it, but he’s mature enough to understand certain things just come with the territory.

“At first I was always, like, salty about losing, getting annoyed at it,” he said, “but then I realized every best player is going to lose. You’re never going to go undefeated. So, whenever I lose, I try to shake it off and review the game-where I went wrong, my mistakes-and then fix it for next time.”

About Kaplan’s memory, his gift: It helped him prepare for his bar mitzvah, too. Some Jewish chess players he knows took time away from the game to study for their big day. Kaplan never stopped playing in tournaments.

“I built up a really good memory foundation so I could prepare and play tournaments at the same time,” he said.

A then-13-year-old’s love of chess wasn’t lost on those celebrating with him.

“If I got a dollar every time chess was brought up at my bar mitzvah,” he said, smiling brightly, “I’d be a millionaire.”

If you are a Jewish teen who plays chess and are interested in connecting with other Jewish chess players, email [email protected] .

Read Avi Kaplan’s interview with Springboard.

Steve Greenberg is a sports columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times.