GILBERT, Iowa [KCCI] – A central Iowa sixth-grade student has won the Girls Under 13 division in the Pan American Youth Chess Championship held earlier this month, in Paraguay. 11-year-old Irene Fei, of Gilbert, also earned the distinction of becoming the youngest Woman International Chess Federation Master in the Americas.

Irene’s parents introduced her to chess in kindergarten, and she developed her talent in an after-school chess club. At just 9 years old, she claimed a first-place world championship chess title in Panama City.