Biography

Currently the number 1 player in Spain and current national champion in the sub-10 category, Álex Villa started playing chess when he was barely 4 and a half years old, under the guidance of his father, the Catalan Master Roberto Villa, who was also his first teacher. - for a year and a half - at the Montornès del Vallés chess school (Barcelona). During his early years, he devoured chess exercise books that he not only loved, but also helped him get his father to buy him stickers of La Liga soccer players, his other great hobby. In 2017, at the age of 6, Álex was proclaimed champion of Catalonia under-8 - the youngest there had ever been in that category - and champion of Spain under-7. These successes earned him two scholarships from the Spanish Federation and the Catalan Federation, which helped him achieve new successes: he revalidated the title of champion of Catalonia U-8 and won the pre-World Cup U-8 of Galicia in 2018 ( thus being able to participate in the Cadet World Championship of that year), he is proclaimed runner-up of Catalonia under-10 and champion of Spain under-9 in 2019 and, once again, repeats the title of champion of Spain in 2020, this time in the category sub-10. During the confinement due to the coronavirus pandemic, he has continued to achieve success, having been proclaimed champion of Catalonia under-10 online chess. In addition, he managed to win an online game at a 3 ’+ 2” rhythm against GM Peter Svidler, without knowing who his rival was until he had finished that game, seeing how his rival had broadcast it live.