A Gigantic Scream for GiganticScream!

GiganticScream, better known as GM Kayden Troff, won the 2014 U.S. Junior Championship last week! The tournament features the top 10 players under the age of 21. The players were rated between 2160 and 2494 internationally (and even higher USCF), but Troff won by 1.5 points over the field!

Troff has written many articles for ChessKid.com, but none that pay as well as this win. He earned $3,000 and a spot in next year's U.S. Championship! He actually already competed in the U.S. Championship once, and told us about his preparation and his performance.

Watch this cool final round game that clinched the title. Notice how he opens the position for his bishop pair, and isn't afraid to go on a walk with his king. Black can't checkmate without his rooks connected!

Troff has been on fire the last year. He made the International Master title in 2013, then the Grandmaster title this year.

"OK, I'm one of the top players in the country now, yet before all this started I was just some kid from Utah who was pretty good at chess," Troff said.

He finished with 7/9, 1.5 points ahead of IM Samuel Sevian and FM Michael Bodek. Troff actually had to come from behind - he didn't lead the tournament until the second-to-last round. After losing to Bodek in round 5, he won the final four games to clinch the title.

Here's how he took the lead in round 7. Notice the craziness of 19. d5! Troff is a GM, so he probably had all the calculations worked out in his favor.

Congratulations Kayden and good luck in the 2015 U.S. Championship! If you want to try to play as well as him, read his advice that he gave to a fellow ChessKid!

We'll close by watching a short interview he gave in the middle of his first U.S. Championship.

Here is the advice that Troff told ChessKid.com after the event:

"Always believe in yourself and your strengths and where you know you are at...but also equally important is to understand that everyone makes mistakes and you have to always go back and realize where you could have done better.

"Get into things like ChessKid.com and Chess.com and seek out those in similar circumstances to you that you can work with online to open yourself up to a bigger chess community."

This article was compiled from press releases and reports from the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis and Brian Jerauld.