GRAPEVINE — Anjali Datta attacks the chess board the way she attacks schoolwork — with a vengeance.

The 16-year-old's grade point average appears to be the highest in the history of Grapevine schools, more than 100 years. But history will not record Anjali Datta as valedictorian of the Class of 2008.

"I've had to work really hard for this honor. It's taken a whole lot of effort," Anjeli said.

With that effort, she is graduating number one from Grapevine High after only three years. But district policy reserves the honor of valedictorian for four-year graduates, so another student will deliver the commencement address.

The district's unique solution was to create a whole new award category. "We wanted to honor her, so in order to do so we created the designation: Valedictorian — Three-year Graduate," said Grapevine-Colleyville ISD spokeswoman Megan Overman.

"This is very disappointing. I don't see why the school would do this to me," Anjali said.

Her father, Deepak Datta, feels the same way. "'Valedictorian — Three-Year' makes it sound like she's merely the best of a handful of early graduates," he said. "She's very competitive, wants to do well. She's a perfectionist."

"I felt I worked for it," Anjali said. "I am the highest-ranked grad. I deserved it."

At 14, she was national chess champ in her age group and 12th in the world. She's headed to the University of Texas to study bio-mechanical engineering — perhaps not as valedictorian, but who knows what bigger awards lie ahead?

Graduation is set for June 7 at the Dallas Convention Center.

E-mail jdouglas@wfaa.com