Leonardo Cahuapaza Tarapaca (16) He is a boy from the city of Arequipa and national chess champion. In the next few days he will travel to Chile to represent Peru there XVIII South American Chess Championship Sub 20, which will take place from July 10th to 16th in the city of Antofagasta. However, despite the fact that he has won dozens of medals, it is not easy for him to take part in such a tournament.
He lives in Cerro Colorado County. He learned to play chess at the age of 11 in the sports workshops that the provincial municipality of Arequipa offered at the time. He is currently in his fourth year of secondary school and is one of the top performers in his class. He has toured various locations in the south and has been crowned macro-regional champion four times.
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Despite being a standout talent in the board game, he says he doesn’t have enough support to continue competing in other championships. To participate in the sports meeting in ChileLast Saturday, July 1, he was caught with his mother on the streets of the White City asking the citizens of his city for help with tickets, lodging and food. The athlete reports that many neighbors have managed to show solidarity with him; However, he didn’t raise the money until his case became public and the mayor of his city, Víctor Hugo Rivera, contacted his family and offered them his support. After that, he can register for the tournament and travel to the aforementioned neighboring country, he says.
The player asks the authorities to support him in future tournaments. Photo: AP News
Cahuapaza Tarapaca He is the son of street vendors. Recently, his father had an accident while selling candy near a health center, leaving him unable to work. His mother, who also works in the same field, says she is doing whatever it takes to get the money her minor needs and continue her sports career. She will accompany the next 10 of her offspring to their international debut in Chile.
Leonardo Cahuapaza wants to take part in the world chess tournament
The national representative indicated that due to a lack of economic means, he could not register for the Pan American Youth Championship, which will be held in Chicago (USA) in August. However, he does not lose hope that with the support of his compatriots he can register for the tournament World U16 Chess Championship what will be inside Italyin the month of November.
Some achievements of Leonardo Cahuapaza
- Under 20 National Chess Champion
- Four-time macro-regional U17 champion
- Pan-American school chess champion in Bolivia under 15 years old
- National school chess champion in Lima under 15 years old
- National Virtual Chess Champion under 14 years old