[2] [citation needed] In 1985, Karanja also received the Laura Aspis Prize, granted annually to the top USCF-rated player under the age of 13.
[3] Karanja qualified as the United States representative for the 1986 World Under-14 Chess Championship in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
[5] Karanja also qualified for the 1987 U.S. Cadet Championship where only the top eight players under age 16 are invited to compete.
[8][9] In 1989, at the age of 15 years and 7 months, Karanja became a chess master, becoming the second youngest African-American at the time to achieve that feat behind Howard Daniels (15 years, 4 months).
[6] A sample of Karanja's ability is evidenced in the following game from the 1987 United States Cadet Chess Championship.