Mission Viejo Bathgate chess player excels at national event

PRESS RELEASE:  MISSION VIEJO CHESS PLAYER EXCELS AT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
The Whittier Chess Club won its first national team championship in the 16-and-Under age group section at the 2014 National Junior Chess Congress in Irvine on March 1st & 2nd.  The team included 10-year-old Brandon Xia of Mission Viejo and two other local players (from Buena Park and West Covina).  
Although he was not the highest rated player on his team, Brandon earned 2.5 much-needed points for the team's victory.  Rated only 1750 going into the event, Brandon defeated one chess expert rated 2000 and came close to drawing against the eventual champion, a chess master rated 2287.  Brandon is a private student of another local chess master, coach Jim Tanaleon.
After the last round, there was a tie for 1st place in the 16-and-Under section, with each team having 8 points after the 5- round event.  But the Whittier team took the 1st place trophy on tiebreaks over the powerhouse team NorCal House of Chess.
NJC team results (scroll down to "16 & Under"):  http://www.hanleychessacademy.com/NJCCTeamStandings.html
NJC individual results (scroll down to "16 & Under"):http://www.hanleychessacademy.com/NJCCStandings.html
Brandon Xia US Chess Federation tournament history:http://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrDtlTnmtHst.php?14883805
Kele Perkins, Whittier Chess Club