Stuart Hall School for Boys students John Michael Maristany, Ryan Avin, Patrick Avin and Charlie Avin, from left, play chess against Grandmaster Timur Gareyev.
Timur Gareyev was born in Uzbekistan, moved to the United States as a teenage rand holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Brownsville. He lives in California.
Chess Grandmaster Timur Gareyev played 20 simultaneous chess matches against participants from throughout the New Orleans area during a March 5 visit to Stuart Hall School for Boys in New Orleans. Gareyev, 30, holds the Guinness World Record for blindfold chess.
After the exhibition, Gareyev played a five-minute blindfold blitz game against two local players: high school student Chris Remoneq and Stuart Hall third-grader John Michael Maristany.