Some of the best young chess players in the world competed to see who’s the best of the best, as the FIDE World Junior Chess Championship for the Disabled was held for the first time in Central Florida last week.

  • World chess competition for disabled held in Central Florida
  • Autistic student Paul Tortajada was youngest player
  • Chess game helps Paul's math and science skills

At just 10 years old, Paul Tortajada was the youngest player in the tournament. Most are in their teens.

But age is not Tortajada’s biggest challenge.

“It does make me famous, but not how I wanted to be,” Paul said. “What I’m accomplishing here is the ability to focus better.”

Paul is autistic, but that didn’t stop him from coming up with the perfect strategy to make move after move on the chessboard.

Paul's success at a game he loves is also helping him excel at school. His math and science teacher at Keene’s Crossing Elementary in Windermere also runs the school’s chess club. He says Paul was the first autistic student to join.

“I’m extremely proud of Paul and the progress I’ve seen since the first day I met him,” said Mohamed Jagarnath, Paul’s teacher.

Paul's success has even taught his teacher a lesson in how a game of strategy can make all the difference in a child’s learning process.

“I think we’re going to redirect our program a little bit to focus on including kids that it can benefit in multiple ways,” Jagarnath said.

“(It was) a truly, truly great experience, I think for everyone here,” said Margarita Tortajada, Paul's mother.

At the tournament, winning wasn't everything. Paul knew that just by competing, he was already accomplishing a huge feat.

“It shows that autistic kids can do more than just run around and make messes,” Paul said.

Organizers of the tournament said they’d like to bring it back to Central Florida next year. This was the first time the tournament was played in Central Florida.