They compete in events in New York City regularly (most often events organized by the Chess Center of New York <www.chesscenter.cc> and held at the Marshall Chess Club or New Yorker Hotel. I direct some of them (dead giveaway as to who I am for those locals posting here). They don't don't study together as they dislike each other, to say the least. Most often they draw quickly when they play, for prize purposes.

Sal came from Lithuania in mid-2003 rated 2255 Elo, and improved since then. I remember the exact rating because the TD gave him a 2355 USCF rating for pairing/prize purposes at one of his first events at the Marshall. I don't know about his earlier development.

Alex was rated in the 1000s when he was 11 years old or so! At some point he began getting coaching (from Mikhail Trosman he told me) and started to really improve. According to Alex, although Trosman was like 1900 he was able to help him still until he was "stable" (as he put it) master level. In a few years, Alex became a USCF master (2200), and in the year 2004 went up from about 2200 to about 2450 (USCF). His rating also took huge Elo jumps.

In 2005 Alex went off and surprised us all by becoming World Champion (U-16). He was a strong player, but we didn't think THAT strong! But Alex is a tough fighter at the board, that's for sure. That's how he beat Nepomniatchi in the decisive game of that championship, surely the game of his life: Alex says he has no desire to do any more in chess, while Nepomniatchi just became GM and will become at least a 2650 Elo. He plays in Action (think Rapid, for our European friends) tournaments, and teaches on ICC to help support his family.

They will both start college this fall.

Ask most players in New York who is the more talented of the two, and the answer will be: Sal. When you watch Alex play in person, his chess doesn't look very impressive. He seems to exert himself more than Sal or Robert Hess, but he can score--on the wallchart and in the wallet. The thing is, Alex continually finishes with and ahead of players "better" than himself.

I hope both Sal and Alix got scholarships to the schools of their choice.

A 2400 rated teeenager happens once every 10 years but two!! going to the same high school at the same time? amazing!! (Nakamura) is the type of player that happens once evey 40 years

It is like when Bhat and Mount-Renard became the two youngest masters in the country at the same time they only lived 30 miles apart.

Anyway, the most promising teen in New York was not Bercys, or Lenderman, but Dmytro Kedyk! Never heard of him? I know. Well, like Lenderman, he played in "money" (i.e., not "serious") tournaments to earn income. He reached a USCF rating of 2516 and crushed everyone in sight at the Marshall Chess Club for a few years after coming off the boat from Ukraine at the end of 2002. He stopped playing in 2005 when preparing for college.

His favorite player was Tal, and it showed: devastating sacs in nearly every game; tremendous endgame technique. Brilliant chess seemed to flow naturally from his fingers. And he never admitted to being coached (as much as I asked!) but said that Russian chess books are so much better than American ones!

Have a look at this: <http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain...;. Kedyk beat GMs Ibragimov, Blatny, and Ehlvest consecutively!! His kill of Ehlvest to cap off the event was particularly impressive. His performance rating was 2812--easily the most dominating non-GM performance I have ever watched.

Kedyk had an even score against GMs, and so dominated Stripunsky at one point that the future US Co-Champion once asked me to repair him against IM Jay Bonin! Kedyk is also 1-0 against GM Hikaru Nakamura.

These games were mostly played at a time control of Game/30 to Game/60. But still, very scary, and believe me, most everyone was terrified of this guy.

HE most assuredly could have become a GM with financial support. He became FM and scored an IM norm at the 2004 World Open. His Elo rating does not accurately convey his true strength.

I happen to know Sal, Alex, and Dmitry quite well. I believe that Eliot Weiss did Sal and Alex a huge disfavor by letting their chess dominate their academics. When I met him, Weiss gave me an impression of a person who collected chess players like trophies. The book quotes Weiss saying "I think [Kedyk] realizes he made a mistake." I know for a fact that this is not true. Dmitry became a valedictorian and was admitted to the CUNY Honors program.

Sal and Alex were less lucky. UTD is hardly a good place for a brilliant person like Sal, even with full scholarship. I have actually told him that he should not to go there. I am sure he could have gone to a much more prestigious and respectable institution had he known more about college admissions. I cannot be sure, but think it is Weiss's fault that Sal did not receive proper advising.