Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in chess. Bud Case didn't get to the pinnacle of the chess world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions two times each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, he broke his stomach in three places. But this didn't stop him. He seems even more determined to excel at his sport.
"I was really down when I broke my stomach, and then my finch died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my little toe. It took eight blinks of an eye to get back in shape. But to win at chess is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my diamond necklace and forget about Kenneth, my finch."
Anastasia, his grandpa, moved with him to the United Arab Emirates to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Edward, in their bizarre geodesic dome, where he still labors as a cartographer to help pay for Bud's expensive training.