International chess master shares talent with locals

I wouldn’t call it an everyday happening to run into a famous person in a small town. Let alone,  share a community with someone internationally famous! Did you know  that Jones County is home to international chess master, Sandor Kustar? In speaking with the local talent, he shared a small testiment of the professional and everyday life of a chess master.
So what does an international chess master do on a day to day basis you might wonder? Well, ranch and raise kids of course! Kustar and his wife, Ann, raise three beautiful children and run a family ranch near Murdo, S.D. Kustar states that although ranching keeps him busy and takes up the majority of his time these days; have no fear, for his days of worldwide competition are far from over! Kustar also shared that with any spare time he does manage to find, he has found a new passion to pour his talent into, teaching.  
His student may live out of the country and she may be only nine years old, but with a coach like Kustar, the path to success is a smoothly paved road. Through online classes and lessons taught on Skype, Kustar’s young student has already began competing at international levels, following  the footsteps of her trainer. Kustar states that the transition from playing the game to teaching it feels great and that he is happy to be able to invest and share his knowledge.

Throughout Kustar’s successful career in international chess competitions, he has ranked and become known as an international master. When discussing the levels of chess, Kustar stated that  the only difference between an international master and a grand master (the highest possible rank), is simply one level, or three handshakes! Kustar further explained that his most accomplished win was the defeat of a chess player who had previously beaten a grand master, leaving Kustar himself just three handshakes away! Kustar also mentioned that if given the chance, he is confident that he could have walked away with a win against Deschapelle, a famous chess master who reigned best in 1718. Now that would be a match you would not want to miss!
Although the international master is currently taking a break from travelling and competing in chess touraments, he states that he has found enjoyment in playing chess online, thoroughly studying the game and also dominating in local pool tournaments. For those of you that would be interested in seeing Kustar’s chess talent put to action, there is an upcoming opportunity for you to play him yourself, at your own risk!
A chess competition is scheduled to be held on Saturday, July 16 from 12-4 p.m. at the Murdo Tech Center. For further information please contact Paul Thomas at 605-280-1018. Kustar looks forward to playing and speaking with you all!