In the Ahlborg household, chess playing seems to be hereditary. For three generations, members of the family have played chess avidly, but none have reached the level John Ahlborg has.

Ahlborg is a Revere alumnus and current student at the University of Pittsburgh, training to become a pharmacist. He started playing chess with his grandfather, his dad, and his two brothers when he was in kindergarten, and has not stopped since. He is also the top chess player to ever graduate from Revere, a certified National Master.

Eugene Sawan, the Revere chess club supervisor, described Ahlborg’s chess abilities.

“He is by far the best chess player to ever play for Revere,” Sawan said.

After hearing the news of John’s new title, his mom Nagwa talked about how she always knew this was coming.

“I always knew he was a hard worker, and when he makes up his mind about something, he will succeed in it,” Nagwa said.

To become a National Master in the United States Chess Federation, one needs a rating of at least 2200. John has a 2212. Last July, John’s rating passed the 2200 mark, officially making him a national master.

John got into chess at a young age, while he was still in elementary school.

“I learned [how to play] chess when I was around seven or eight. My Grandpa and I would play together. I got involved in chess for Revere when I was in sixth grade. I heard the announcement for the chess team and thought it sounded like something I would enjoy,” John said.

John’s dad, Kevin Ahlborg, also talked about how family played a part in John’s chess career.

“Me, his two brothers Marc and Carl and him would just play chess whenever we had the opportunity,” Kevin said.

Sawan talked about his memories of John.

“John began as a sixth-grader, and was involved all throughout middle school and high school, serving as the captain of the team as well.“ Sawan said.

After being introduced to chess by his grandfather, John mostly taught himself all throughout his chess career.

“To get to where John is…he is far beyond anything I could teach him. When he was younger, there were things like puzzles I could give him, but to reach the level he has, this is all John. He was very interested in [chess], he went out and read books on chess by grand masters, and he sought out and went after people who had higher ratings than him so he could learn from them,” Sawan said.

John enjoys playing chess nowadays not just for the thrill of competition, but to meet other people involved in the chess community. For guidance, John goes over tournament games he has played with Tom Martinat, Pitt University’s chess club adviser.

“A big reason I still play is that the chess community is very nice. Being a part of the Pitt chess club allows me to meet other people who enjoy chess,” John said.

To advance himself in the rankings, John has participated in many tournaments and leagues, the first of which were in high school.

“In high school, Revere Chess Club was part of the Greater Akron Chess League against other schools, but our matches are not ranked by the USCF. At the end of the year, [you] get to compete in a tournament among all the top schools, which is rated by the USCF,” John said.

John participated in ninety tournaments since 2005, and his rating has improved from a 939 to a 2212. In the future, John wants chess to stay in the background as a hobby.

“Playing chess is one of my favorite things to do, but I’m not really interested in coaching and since National Masters can’t make money [in tournaments], I’m going to focus on becoming a pharmacist. Chess really isn’t a focus, it’s just something I like to do for fun,” John said.

After being introduced to the ancient game from his late grandfather, John has never stopped playing and wanting to improve on his chess game. Now, many years later, he has become a National Master in the game he and his grandfather enjoyed together.