Maghsoodloo won Russia’s Maxim Vavulin in the 10th round of games, securing his trophy while there are still two more rounds remaining. He could even earn the title by a draw in last game. This is the first time that an Iranian achieves this honorable trophy.

The 18-year-old grandmaster has collected 9.5 out of 10 possible points and is ahead of his closest followers by 2 points.

Describing him as the “magician from Persia”, the official website of the event writes, “it’s sure that we’re facing a big talent here and he’s definitely one of the main candidates in the world now to enter the superelite in near future.”

FIDE World Junior Chess Championship 2018 (open & girls under 20) kicked off in Turkey’s Kocaeli and Gebze, on September 4 and wraps up Sunday.