Seven-year-old Sofia from Poros won the title of European champion among her age group participants in the European School Chess Championship.

Sofia Kaliskami achieved eight wins and one draw, according to chess coach Pantelis Lykouriotis. “She came first among both boys and girls. It is a very big achievement and gives us a lot of hope for the future,” he told ANT1.

“At first I just saw a chessboard and didn’t know what it was when I was two years old. My mother explained it to me and I started learning chess,” Sofia said. As for her favorite piece, it is the “queen.”

Her mother, Natalia Misko, stressed that “the most important thing in chess, especially at the beginning, is to teach children how to lose, not only how to win, but also how to learn how to lose.”

Sofia follows a demanding schedule of two to three hours of chess training daily, alongside school. “The first time I saw her was at a tournament we held in Nafplio. She stood out for her politeness and maturity. She is a very mature child in the way she spoke, how she moved, how focused she was,” said Mr. Lykouriotis.