FMJoshua Colas

Joshua Colas was born in White Plains to Haitian immigrant parents and learned chess from his father. At twelve he became the youngest African-American national master at that time. He won national titles in seventh, tenth and eleventh grades. A particularly strong performance at the 2015 North American Open brought him both international master and grandmaster norms. He later attended Webster University on a chess scholarship, playing alongside fellow New Yorkers James Black Jr. and Justus Williams under Susan Polgar's coaching.