10-year-old named youngest-ever U.S. chess master

GREENWICH, Conn. (AP) -- At age 10, Maximillian Lu is the youngest-ever chess master in the U.S., but he sees room for improvement.

Fewer than 2 percent of U.S. Chess Federation members have earned the distinction of being a national master, which is earned by racking up at least 2,200 points in competitions. It's a rarity among children, but Max shrugs it off, saying he needs to work on his endgame.

He started playing chess when he was 6 and now plays 45 minutes to an hour a day and an hour or two on weekends or before major tournaments.

Jean Hoffman, executive director of the U.S. Chess Federation, says young players are stronger than in the past, due partly to online chess and efforts by schools and clubs to draw more players.