Mayor of Santa Monica to issue Danial a Proclamation Certificate in recognizing his achievements in Santa Monica City council on Feb 9, 2016.
Lincoln Middle School eighth-grader Danial Asaria brought home the national chess title after dominating competitors at the National K-12 U.S.
Chess Federation Championship in Florida in December. The tournament hosts nearly 2,000 players from kindergarten through 12th grade. It’s the third national championship won by Danial, who had to find room in his family home for another trophy that is nearly as tall as he is. He holds the title of “National Master,” a distinction he earned from the U.S. Chess Federation, and has been a California champion multiple times.
“We are so proud of Danial for his passion and dedication in reaching his goals and for setting a wonderful example for our entire community,” Superintendent Sandra Lyon said. Congratulations to Danial for his amazing achievement and we wish him continued luck and success.”
While Danial has dominated the field of competition on the chessboard, he has also excelled in Santa Monica-Malibu Unified classrooms, maintaining straight-A grades since his days at Franklin Elementary School.
A quick study, Danial learned how to play chess when he was seven and placed second in his very first tournament.
“His dedication and commitment to mastering the game became apparent as he started to compete in national events and win,” recalls Aziz Asaria, Danial’s father.
Soon afterward, he was playing many levels above his own grade section and becoming a national champion. He received his first chess scholarship when he was 10, winning the National Elementary Chess championship.
Besides chess, Asaria has many interests, including music, table tennis, dance, art and mathematics. He has also completed many hours of youth volunteer services, including one of the biggest events of his life: the 2015 Special Olympics World Games.
Last year, he also found time to volunteer as an assistant coach at a summer chess camp held at Crossroads School. However, most of his spare time is devoted to studying chess. In the words of one of his coaches, “Danial’s pure love for the game of chess is enormous.”
Source: Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Press Release (PDF)
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