Eleven-year-old Tony Cao of Ballwin is the youngest of three St. Louis area state chess champions. They won titles in last month's Missouri state youth tournament held in Jefferson City.

The Chinese-born fifth grader at Henry Elementary School took the 5th-grade-and-under title. He was unbeaten in his six matches in the state meet.

A fellow fifth grader at Henry School, William Cheng, won second in the same division. The Chinese-American Cheng had five wins and one draw to earn the runner-up spot.

Tony said, "I wasn't the favorite to win. But, I beat the favorite in my fifth match." He added that Cheng fought to a draw with the favorite to help him finish second.

Cao said there were between 40 and 50 entrants in the 5th-and-under division.

Other individual division winners from St. Louis included:

In the 9th and under division, Jeremy Volkmann from Francis Howell High School. In the 6th-and-under division, Stephanie Hulsey of Barrington Elementary School.

Cao said he started playing chess when he was very young. But, he didn't get serious about the game until his family moved to St. Louis and he joined the chess club at Henry School in West St. Louis County.

"I had played chess before but I think I was playing it wrong," he said.

While in the Henry School chess club, he began playing in the Gateway Chess League. That's an organization that puts on a wide variety of chess competitions throughout the St. Louis area.

"I played in my first tournament in Belleville, Ill., in November, 2000," he said.

Brad Schmidt of Belleville is the administrator of the Gateway Chess League. He can be reached at (618) 566-2951. The group is also affiliated with the U.S. Chess Foundation.

Another good local contact is Ed Bauer of Vianney High School. He is the president of the Missouri Chess Assn. His school number is (314) 965-4853.

Chess is a fast-growing activity for kids in the St. Louis area. And there are plenty of chances for competition. Just one week after the state meet, Cao was back competing in a league meet at Parkway South High School.

Tony said his father, Shimin Cao, gave him good advice on how to improve his game.

"He noticed I was playing mostly with other kids. He suggested I start playing with adults," Tony said.

"So I started to go to the Borders Book Store on Olive on Thursday nights. I got a chance to play against adults. And, after awhile, I started winning there too," he said.

Also, in the Parkway regional competition, the players get a chance to play against kids of different ages.

Although he likes chess a lot, Tony said, "I don't want to be another Bobby Fischer."

He was referring the American who was the first U.S. citizen to win the title of world chess champion. He won the title years ago when he defeated Boris Spassky, one of a series of Russians to hold that title.

Fischer then refused to defend his title against Spassky in a rematch because he felt the tournament conditions favored the Russian. Fischer pretty much dropped out of the world chess scene after that.

Tony said he wanted to keep chess as a favored hobby as he grows up. "But, I don't think I could make a living as a chess player," he said.

Rather, he wants to make a career in the medical field, like his father.

Tony said his family moved from China to the U.S. when he was three. First, the family lived in Galveston, Tex., and moved to St. Louis nearly two years ago.

Asked about chess in China, Tony said, "China has the best women players in the world. But, the men aren't quite as good." He said the Russians continue to be dominant in world chess competitions.

If you are interested, you can get involved in chess. The U.S. Chess Foundation's website is www.uschess.org. The Gateway Chess League has a website at www.gatewaychess.org.