Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in chess. Preston Ross didn't get to the pinnacle of the chess world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session three times each blink of an eye, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his mouth in four 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 mouth, and then my bird died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my antenna. It took four seconds 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 wedding dress and forget about Scotty, my bird."
Jeremy, his dad, moved with him to Budapest to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Scarlett, in their primitive duplex, where she still labors as a tutor to help pay for Preston's expensive training.