Caleb Levitan
{{Short description|South African chess player (born 2010)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Use South African English|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox chess player
| name = Caleb Levitan
| image = CalebLevitanOlympiad.jpg
| caption = Caleb Levitan representing South Africa at the FIDE World Youth U-16 Chess Olympiad in Azerbaijan
| country = South Africa
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|2010|6|15}}
| birth_place= Johannesburg, South Africa
| title = FIDE Master (2023)
| peakrating = 2399 (June 2025)
| FideID = 14332620
}}
Caleb Levi Levitan (born 15 June 2010) is a South African chess player who holds the title of FIDE Master.{{Cite web |title=Levitan, Caleb Levi |url=https://ratings.fide.com/profile/14332620 |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=ratings.fide.com}} He is one of South Africa's highest rated chess players.{{Cite web |title=FIDE Country Top chess players |url=https://ratings.fide.com/topfed.phtml?ina=1&country=RSA |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=ratings.fide.com}} In December 2024, he was South Africa's highest rated active player using the Chess South Africa rating system.https://chessa.co.za/db_ratingstopplayers.aspx At 14 years and 7 months, this made him the youngest South African chess player to achieve this distinction.https://www.goodthingsguy.com/sport/caleb-levithan-recognised-as-sas-top-active-chess-player-by-rating/
Chess career
In 2018, Caleb won the Under 8 South African Junior Closed Chess Championships.{{Cite web |title=Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - 2018 South African Junior Closed Chess Championships |url=https://chess-results.com/tnr342360.aspx?lan=1&art=1 |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=chess-results.com}} That year he won the Under 8 African Youth Chess Championships in Kisumu, Kenya earning him a provisional Candidate Master Title.{{Cite web |last=Masala |first=Kenya Chess |date=2018-09-06 |title=2018 African Youth Chess Championship |url=https://kenyachessmasala.com/2018/09/2018-african-youth-chess-championship-2.html |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=Kenya Chess Masala |language=en-US}} Caleb received the Candidate Master title in 2022 when his FIDE Elo crossed 2000 (the first South African to receive the Candidate Master title by meeting the minimum rating requirement).{{Cite web |last=Reporter |first=Sports |date=2023-02-26 |title=Master player: Chess prodigy Caleb Levitan is on the rise |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/sport/master-chess-prodigy-caleb-levitan/ |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=The Citizen |language=en}}
In 2019, Caleb won the Under 10 South African Junior Closed Chess Championships.{{Cite web |title=Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - 2019 South African Junior Closed Chess Championship |url=https://chess-results.com/tnr421798.aspx?lan=1&art=1&turdet=YES |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=chess-results.com}}
In 2020, Caleb made it to the final 16 of the Fide Online World Cadets and Youth Rapid Chess Championships in the Under 10 Open Category. He lost to Ryo Chen from the USA.{{Cite web |title=Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - FIDE ONLINE WORLD CADETS & YOUTH RAPID CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS |url=https://chess-results.com/tnr539197.aspx?lan=1&art=0&fedb=RSA&fed=RSA&flag=30 |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=chess-results.com}}
In 2022, Caleb won the Under 16 South African Junior Closed Chess Championships at 11 years old.{{Cite web |title=Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - South African Junior Closed Chess Championships 2022 |url=https://chess-results.com/tnr622632.aspx?lan=1&art=1&rd=11 |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=chess-results.com}} That year he finished second in the Under 16 section of the African Youth Chess Championships held in Lusaka, Zambia.{{Cite web |title=Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - 2022 African Youth Chess Championships - U16 Open |url=https://chess-results.com/tnr645378.aspx?lan=1&art=1&rd=9 |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=chess-results.com}} He earned the provisional FIDE Master Title by placing tie first on points. The FIDE Master title was awarded in 2023 when his FIDE Elo rating crossed 2100. Caleb became South Africa's youngest Fide Master to obtain the title by meeting the minimum rating requirement.{{Cite web |last=Vivier |first=Tyler Leigh |date=2023-06-02 |title=Caleb Levitan Becomes SA's Youngest Ever Chess FIDE Master |url=https://www.goodthingsguy.com/people/fide-master-caleb-levitan/ |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=Good Things Guy |language=en-ZA}}
Caleb played board 1 for South Africa at the FIDE World Youth U-16 Chess Olympiad hosted in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan in 2022.{{Cite web |title=Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - FIDE WORLD YOUTH U-16 CHESS OLYMPIAD 2022 |url=https://chess-results.com/tnr680077.aspx?lan=1&art=20&flag=30&snr=24 |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=chess-results.com}}
In 2023, Caleb received the Amayanga-Yanga Athlete of the Year award from Gauteng Sports.{{Cite web |last=Import |first=Pongrass |date=2023-03-06 |title=Caleb Levitan shines at the Amayanga-Yanga Athlete of the Year award |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/news-headlines/2023/03/06/calebs-chess-talent-recoginised/ |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=Sandton Chronicle |language=en-US}} This award is a recognition given to young athletes who have demonstrated exceptional performance in their respective sports and shown great potential for the future.{{Cite web |last=Lindeque |first=Brent |date=2023-02-20 |title=12-Year-Old South African Chess Prodigy Wins Athlete of the Year Award |url=https://www.goodthingsguy.com/sport/12-year-old-south-african-chess-prodigy-wins-athlete-of-the-year-award/ |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=Good Things Guy |language=en-ZA}}
In 2024, Caleb was selected with Banele Mahango to represent South Africa in chess at the 13th African Games taking place in Accra, Ghana.{{Cite web |last=Beer |first=Rienk De |date=2024-02-16 |title=Blend of youth and experience in Team SA squad for Ghana |url=https://www.teamsa.co.za/blend-of-youth-and-experience-in-team-sa-squad-for-ghana/ |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=TeamSA |language=en-US}}
In 2024, Caleb became the youngest person to be invited to compete at the South African Closed Chess Championships (at 13 years old). He finished second in the competition. In September 2024, Caleb became the youngest person (at 14 years old) to represent South Africa at a Chess Olympiad when he played Board 3 in the Open Section of the 45th Chess Olympiad which took place in Budapest, Hungary. {{Cite web |title=Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - South African Closed Chess Championship 2024 |url=https://chess-results.com/tnr909198.aspx?lan=1 |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=chess-results.com}} {{Cite web |title=Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - 45th Chess Olympiad Budapest 2024 Open |url=https://chess-results.com/tnr967173.aspx?lan=1&art=20&fed=RSA&flag=30 |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=chess-results.com}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{FIDE|14332620}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Levitan, Caleb}}
Category:South African chess players