Local girls win state championships

Area teens score big at state chess championship
By Jennifer Jiggetts
The Virginian-Pilot
March 3, 2012

Two area teenagers won top honors at the Virginia Queens’ State Championship at Norfolk State University on Saturday.

Granby High School student Katya Lifshits, 17, won the Virginia Rated Girls’ State title, according to a news release.

Home-schooled Virginia Beach 11th-grader Elizabeth Dowdell, 17, was named the state’s unrated winner.

Each teen won a $1,000 scholarship provided by The Virginian-Pilot.

Daphne Zhao and Tiffany Zhao of Virginia Beach placed second and third, respectively, in the unrated division.

The inaugural event was created by the Norfolk Initiative for Chess Excellence in partnership with Norfolk State, the release said.

The competition drew 33 competitors, ages 5 to 17, from around the state.

Source: http://hamptonroads.com