Issue No.

11 | Fall 2023

Chess
Connections
A magazine
for kids, by kids

Featuring
an interview with
GM Andrew Hong

Photo Credit: St. Louis Chess Club

 Table of Contents

Front Cover 01
Designed by: Olivia Coward

Contents
02

Meet Our Team 03

The 9 Types of Chess Players | Alice Chovanec
Designed by: Emma Wang 08

An Interview with GM Andrew Hong | WIM Ellen Wang & FM Davis Zong 10
Designed by: Olivia Coward

Winning with Offbeat Openings | Dazhen Lu 22

Designed by: Olivia Coward

Unpromoted: On Learning and Mentorship | Celina Zhou 26

Designed by: Emman Wang & Sabrina Sang

My Long, Winding, and Sometimes Heartbreaking Journey to NM (II) | Roger Zhang 32

Designed by: Anjali Loh

How I Won the All-girls Nationals | Audrey Zhou 39

Designed by: Ellen Wang

My Trip to the Barber | FM Henry Deng 46

Designed by: Lulu Huang

Yasser Seirawan: The Bob Ross of Chess | Skyler el Hamri 53

Designed by: Emma Wang & Sabrina Sang

The Power of Barry the B-Pawn — Surprise Tool | Ruoxiao Xia 66

Designed by: Olivia Coward

Back Cover 69
Designed by: Ellen Wang
Meet Our Team

WIM Ellen Wang, Co-Editor-In-Chief & Designer

WIM Ellen Wang is a junior at Horace Mann School in New York. Since starting
chess at the age of 6, she has been playing competitively at the regional, national, and
international levels. Her most recent accomplishments are 2023 National Girls'
Champion (U16), Gold Medal at 2022 World Schools Chess Championships (U17
Girls), Team Champion at 2023 National Invitationals of State Champions, and Gold
Medals at both 2020 and 2021 North American Junior Girls Chess Championships
(from which she earned the WIM title and two WGM norms). She also achieved the
US National Master title in 2021.

Beyond chess, Ellen is an avid robotics designer, a passionate flutist, and an

enthusiastic tennis player.

FM Davis Zong, Jr., Co-Editor-In-Chief

Davis Zong is a 12th grader at Hunter College High School in New York City. He
qualified for and competed at the U8, U10, and U12 world cadets chess championships
and has won both the elementary and junior high NYC Championships. He became a
national master in 6th grade and a FIDE master in 11th grade.

Outside of the board, Davis loves to write articles; he is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of his
school newspaper and he also wrote several articles on the USCF website on events
including the World Cup and the U.S. Junior Championships. Davis loves to share the
beauty of chess around the world.
Lulu Huang, Head of Social Media & Designer

Lulu Huang is a 10th grader at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia.
She has been playing chess since she was four. At six years old, she tied for second place at the All Girls
National Chess Championship (U8 section). She qualified for the 2021 FIDE World Women Fast Chess
Championship USA national team, and she also received Top 10 in the 2021 US Junior Chess Congress
U12 section. She is a coach for Phoenix Chess Club, as well as an Intermediate Chess teacher at Hope
Chinese School.

Outside of chess, Lulu is an avid Future Problem Solving competitor, having placed first in States and
qualifying for Internationals twice in a row. She enjoys both digital art and math competitions in her free
time.

Olivia Coward, Managing Designer

Olivia Coward is a junior attending Horace Mann school in New York City. She is interested
in English and visual arts.

Jerry Chang, Editor

Jerry Chang is in the eighth grade in Oak Park, California's Medea Creek Middle School. He got an early
start on his chess education and went on to study under renowned international masters from Southern
California and Kentucky. Jerry's chess rating is among the greatest, with a rating of over 1850, making
him one of the best of his age. At the 42nd annual Memorial Day Classic Chess Tournament, Jerry took
first place in the section for players rated 1800 or under. Jerry oversees the chess club at Medea Creek
Middle School and is a senior chess instructor, teaching an advanced chess class to junior players at
YDRC Chess Club and Amy Chess Club. In addition, he is Vice President of the Amy Chess Club and
Co-Founder of The Future King Chess Club. Outside of chess, Jerry plays music (piano, clarinet, and
saxophone), as well as volleyball. In addition to being an essential member of the volleyball team he
plays for at the SMBC West Volleyball Club, he is also a clarinetist for the California All-State JHS
Symphonic Band (CBDA) and the Ventura Honor Band 2023.
Emma Wang, Designer

Emma Wang is currently twelve years old and is a seventh grader at Horace Mann School in NY. She
enjoys swimming and has been on a team for two years. In addition, she likes playing flute and
creating art. She has loved drawing and painting ever since she was little, making a mess in her room
with paints and random crafting items. Over the years, she has determined that painting is her
favorite medium in art, specifically, acrylic paint. Emma hopes that many younger children will find
an interest in art and find it a fun and exciting hobby.

Sabrina Sang, Designer

Sabrina Sang is 12 years old and is a 7th grader in Great Neck South Middle School. When Sabrina is
not in school, she is taking a nap, hanging out with friends, reading, or watching Marvel movies.
Sabrina also loves to draw! Her favorite form of art is charcoal. She hopes that other people can also
appreciate still life pieces and learn to use value in art.

Anjali Lodh, Designer

Anjali Lodh is a 11th grader at West High School in Iowa. She is the current Iowa Girls Chess
Champion and represented Iowa in the Ruth Haring Girls Tournament of Champions in 2019, 2020,
and 2022 as well as representing Iowa in the Barber Tournament of Champions in 2021. She co-
founded and runs a non-profit chess organization called "Chess Butterflies" dedicated to inspiring
young girls to become confident chess players. She is an aspiring graphic designer and loves to design
things in her free time. She has also written several articles for Iowa's chess publication, "En Passant."
Some of her hobbies include playing violin, trumpet, playing tennis, and competing for her school's
Science Olympiad team.
NM Jack Levine, Staff Writer
Jack Levine lives in New York City and is a rising 11th grader at Hunter College High School. He started
playing chess at the age of 5, and became a National Master in 2019 at the age of 13. He won 1st place at
the US Grade Nationals while in 4th grade and again in 6th grade, and was Junior High co-champion at
the New York State Scholastic Tournament in 2019. Jack also plays soccer, enjoys studying classical
piano, and is currently developing Chess Rescue, an organization that will be dedicated to raising urgently
needed funds for causes around the world.

Roger Shi, Staff Writer

Roger Shi is a 14-year-old Southern Californian with a USCF rating of 2122. He is a “Top Blogger” for
chess.com and has posted many blogs on chess.com including one that has won “chess.com’s Blog of The
Month.” Roger is a USCF Expert and was the team captain of the “San Diego Sorcerers”, who won the
2021 K-8 USATN Tournament. He is a competitive soccer player, and a Manchester United and Golden
State Warriors fan. You can check out his blogs on Chess.com at
https://www.chess.com/blog/RodgyReports.

NM Roger Zhang, Staff Writer

Roger Zhang is a rising sophomore in Livingston, NJ. He recently became a national master and still
continues to actively play in tournaments. He and his friends led his high school to win the NJ High
School Team Championship in March 2023. Besides chess, he also enjoys math, science, track, cross
country, and has a liking for speedrunning the game 2048.

Alice Chovanec, Staff Writer

Alice Chovanec is a rising 5th grader at The Anderson School in New York City. She started learning
chess at age 5 and aspires to become a National Master one day. In the past year, she helped her school
team win the 1st place team award for K-6 section at the Elementary Nationals. She also competed as part
of the US Team at the 2022 World Cadets Chess Championship in Batumi, Georgia. Besides chess, she
enjoys reading, writing, playing the violin, and traveling with her family.
 FM Henry Deng, Staff Writer
Henry Deng is in 8th grade and lives in Northern California. He is a FM with FIDE rating of 2300 and
the Champion of the 2021 National Rockefeller Championship.

Thank You to Our Contributors:

In random order: GM Andrew Tang, IM Alice Lee FM Zoey Tang, Kevin Wang, Dylan
Zhang, WIM Lisa Lan Yao, Jason C. Wang, WIM Ellen Wang, FM Davis Zong Jr., WGM
Jennifer Yu, Jerry Xie, FM Andy Huang, Daiwen Guo, Eric Wu, IM Annie Wang, WCM
Lucia Huang, Lulu Huang, Jerry Chang, NM Erick Zhao, GM Joshua Sheng, IM Evan
Park, Oliver Torgersen, Justin Li, Lucas Liu, David Li, GM Darwin Yang, IM-Elect Eddy
Tan, Roger Luo, IM Andy Woodward, WIM Evelyn Zhu, GM Awonder Liang, Henry
Burton, NM Roger Zhang, NM Jack Levine, Kent Slate, WGM Thalia Cervantes
Landeiro, Hans Xu, Megan Paragua, Dazhen Lu, Madison Brown, Laurel Aronian, Alice
Chovanec, IM Nico Chasin, WFM Sophie Morris-Suzuki, Roger Shi, Chenxuan Ling,
Dazhen Lu, Celina Zhou, Skyler el Hamri, Ruoxiao Xia, FM Henry Deng, GM Andrew
Hong, Audrey Zhou

Special Thank You to Our Founders and Advisors:

IM Justin Wang & Jason Wang

 The 9 Types of
Chess Players
By Alice Chovanec

Alice Chovanec is a 5th grader at The Anderson School in New York City.
She started learning chess at age 5 and aspires to become a National
Master one day. In the past year, she helped her school team win the 1st
place team award for K-6 section at the Elementary Nationals. She also
competed as part of the US Team at the 2022 World Cadets Chess
Championship in Batumi, Georgia. Besides chess, she enjoys reading,
writing, playing the violin, and traveling with her family.
 Disclaimer: I am not depicted The 9 Types of
By Alice Chovanec
here J
Chess Players
The Blitzer The Sloth The Intimidator

LET ME
SHE’S TAKING CALCULATE WHAT’S YOUR
FOREVER! SOME MORE RATING? I WAS
VARIATIONS… THE CHAMPION IN
GRADE NATIONALS
FIVE YEARS AGO!

* SLAM *

1:15 0:12

The Distracted The Snoozer The Dasher

LET’S SEE WHAT
WHAT’S
MY FRIEND JUST
GOING ON
Ne5! PLAYED!
OVER THERE?
* SNORE * z z Z Z
OH LOOK,
THAT BOY IS
WINNING.

The Cranky The Snacker The Emotional

I WAS
HMMM ANOTHER WINNING…WHY
DON’T BITE OF DID I MAKE THAT
ADJUST ON * SOB *
CHOCOLATE… BLUNDER?!
MY TURN!

* CHOMP *
* SNIFFLE *

Inspired by Matt Groening’s Life in Hell series. TO BE CONTINUED…

 INTERVIEW WITH GM
ANDREW HONG

By WIM Ellen Wang

and FM Davis Zong

Photo Credit: St. Louis Chess Club

Ellen: How did you start to play chess? And what part of chess was attractive
to you initially?

Andrew: My story is: I went to this local club because my brother started
playing. He's three years older than me, and he started playing first. And
when I had an older sibling, I was always looking for a facet of life where I
could somehow compete with them. Additionally, it was also an area where
there's not a lot of physical components. So I thought, chess is something I
can explore. I started getting interested when he brought home positions,
exercises on sheets of paper. And I thought he'd be thinking how to solve
them. And, of course, I'd be thinking along with him trying to solve faster.

I joined a local club, and I feel the structure there was very kind to me
because although I didn’t meet the minimum age requirement, they saw my
enthusiasm and passion for the game and let me join, so that's how I first
started learning several foundational aspects about the game.

Originally, it was fueled by the desire to beat my brother, but quickly I really
loved the art aspect about the game. First of all, you have the freedom to
decide what you want to do, and you get to create, on the board. And to me,
every time you get to solve problems in an elegant fashion, it just really
appeals to me. It's basically artistic.

Davis: You've played competitive chess for many, many years now. Has your
favorite thing about chess changed over time?

It's definitely been a journey! At first, you're quite young, and then you have a
lot of room to improve. So I think, in this sort of timeframe, it's very natural to
be very interested by the game: you're improving a lot, you're winning a lot,
and you also gain admiration for other people. So sort of fuels you to keep
going. But then of course, at some point, you hit sort of a plateau, which is
normal, because, you know, astronomical growth isn't going to always
happen, continually. And then when I hit that plateau, I was obviously a bit
discouraged because progress is slower - you’re no longer winning all your
games because you're playing against older, more experienced players. But
through that period, I'm very thankful to my coaches, friends and families
who supported me to keep pushing through.

I think what always kept me going was I just love to play the game. And as I
said, the aesthetic aspects of artfulness in the game led me to continue
pursuing and get better. I will say that at the highest level, feelings have
changed a bit - sometimes I feel like it's a grind. Because for instance, let's say
you play an American Open tournament. You basically have to win a lot of
games just to maintain your rating, so at some point I was not too pleased
with the stress and the pressure of these tournaments where you are
expected to continually perform well. And I felt like I kind of lost some of the
raw love for the game passion that I had before.

But then again, reconnecting with some of my old friends and coaches and
finding some of my support systems, people who want me to keep going,
reignited my passion for the game.

At least right now, I’m on the path to keep playing - see where it goes.

E: What is your biggest strength as a chess player and what do you think
makes you unique?

A: My biggest strength is probably resiliency. I think whether it's in any

individual game or position, where if something's not going right, I think I
usually have a tendency to keep fighting and continue playing, even when
things aren't going great.

I know sometimes, some people can view it as a little bit of classist behavior
where they think “ok, you should resign. it's completely winning!”

I generally disagree a bit, though. I mean, you're playing the game. You have
the choice to play.
I do understand the other side of it, but I think that as long as you think it’s
responsible, you’re justified to play on. For sure in my career though, playing
for a bit longer than others would has definitely saved me some half points
and full points.

I think resilience goes beyond the individual game as well. I'm pretty sure I've
never ever withdrawn from a tournament. From a young age, that was always
something I believed in because no matter how much rating you’re losing, I
think it builds character to always keep fighting.

I think the most prominent example in my career was the 2021 US Junior
Championships, where I lost five in a row but then had a great finish. I think
it’s a combination of things that makes me unique: resilience, a passion for a
game; I calculate quite well, and on top of that, I have a decent memory,
which helps me in the current state of chess.

D: You've played in events such as the US juniors championship several

times. Are there any specific preparation methods that you use, and how do
you approach playing a game against such strong opponents?

I try to give myself enough time to look through the opponent's games and
decide what I want to play. Then, once I figure that out, I repeat my
repertoire, just to refresh memory, and then just go play the game.

Most of the time, I come in with very high confidence, not to the point where
I'm disrespecting or underestimating them, but I usually come into the game
feeling quite good about my chances. Pretty much against anyone.

So, just come in with some confidence and make the moves I want to play!
And, the player I’m playing with doesn't really affect me that much. It’s just
me and the board, and I’m making some moves.

E: During a tournament or a game, how do you stay focused and not be

affected by other results or what might happen in the future? How do you
maintain a winning streak or get out of a losing streak?

It's a lot easier said than done when you're actually in the moment! I think the
key is to try to focus on one small specific detail, or thing. For example,
sometimes I like to zone in and just at one specific black knight on the board,
and it just brings me into the position - I understand that I only have to make
one move.

I think if you have the luxury, walking, getting up, taking a breather, or closing
your eyes for a second helps you reset during very tense moments. I think I
deal with losing streaks really well because of resilience. I don’t want to give
up and I always keep fighting to try to prove that the position does indeed
still have hope.

D: What part of the game is your favorite: opening, middlegame, or endgame?

I personally like the middle game because of the complexity of it. You can
enjoy how many possibilities chess really has. But I also think there's
something very elegant about the endgame, because usually the calculations
are quite precise and everything is move by move. Additionally, despite the
limited material on the board, it still retains a lot of complexity.

Opening is most probably my least favorite part because I like being able to
create original ideas, but doing so in the opening phase has been limited by
computers.

E: How would you suggest studying or practicing each of the three parts of
the game?

For the endgame, I’m not sure there’s a shortcut way to do it, but I’ve read
through Dvoretsky’s endgame manual once or twice and some positions have
really stuck to me, so I think I have a decent knowledge.

For the middlegame, I think solving some positions - not necessarily just talk
tactics, but just positions where you have to make decisions and scenarios
where there is more than one good option. I think analyzing and making your
mind work a lot is a worthwhile experience, and that's how you form intuition.

As for opening, I mostly just analyze on my own, make my own conclusions,

stay confident with what I think is good, and test it out in the games because
even if you lose, you get experience -
feedback on how good your work was.

E: Do you do any practice with the openings before you play them in a real
tournament (e.g. training partners)?

I think it's a good strategy to play with training partners! Logistically, it's
sometimes hard to find the training partners and also the common time
where you can both play, but I think it’s a great idea if you can work it out.

D: Do you think that high level games concentrate too much on the opening?

I don't think so, because the opening is very important. As with anything in
life, if you start off well, then you most likely have a higher chance of success,
so I feel like the opening works in the same way: if you have a great opening,
then your position will be easier, you’ll spend less time, and put more
pressure on your opponent.

It’s rightly emphasized, I would say, because it's the one aspect of the game
you can control because you can use computers to help you from the
beginning. So although openings are not my favorite because they take an
aspect of originality out of the game, I think they are pretty necessary
because of how technology and computers have developed.

E: Do you have a favorite tournament or one that you enjoy playing the most?

The favorite tournament to watch would be the World Cup because of the so
many talented players playing and its knockout format and tiebreaks which
makes it exciting. As a spectator, I would definitely recommend it!

One of my favorite tournaments to play would probably be one of the classics

at St. Louis or the US Juniors Championships. Although there is pressure to
do well sometimes, I generally do like playing there.

But about tournaments I haven’t played yet, I think I’d want to play in some
strong Open tournaments. Reykjavik is one, and also Qatar Masters. I haven’t
been to any of those, but I would like to. And obviously, if I could get invited
to other tournaments like Tata Steel, that’d be great, but it’s a long ways
away.

D: From a scholastic to a professional chess player, what are the biggest

changes that you made to grow into a more mature player?

I think growing as a person does help you grow your chess as well. Having
more emotional control, more resilience, stuff like that, really does help the
mental side of the game. When you're playing, having confidence, all of that,
really does help.

As far as chess-wise, obviously, my openings have improved quite a bit since I

was younger. That's definitely been a big part of the improvement because in
most of the games, we got positions that, you know, are quite good for you, or
at least comfortable, then more likely you play well making a decision.

And I think generally, just having more experience helps because the more
experience you have, the more types of positions you've seen. It helps you
refine your intuition if you're familiar with all types of structures, and more or
less know what to do in a lot of situations. So that helps as well.

E: Okay, so this is kind of a packed question. But can you talk about the
different aspects of chess? For example, technical versus psychological, or
tactical versus positional? How much do you think they affect the game?
And do you think one is more important than the other?

I would argue the mental, psychological part of the game is just as important
as technical. In my earlier playing career, there have been multiple examples
where I'm a better player, but I don't do well because you're psychologically
stronger than me through confidence and all that. If you have stronger
mental, it also helps you as well. I think it's just as important, but obviously
you still need to be a good player for the mental advantage to sort of take
effect.

Tactical or positional are talked about a lot and they've been talked about
separately. But my opinion is that they're mostly interconnected a lot of the
time. Generally, you always want to play healthy, harmonious and solid
moves. But I'd say most of the time, it's always back to precise calculation
and short tactics, like I play this move because my opponent cannot do this. I
think it's all very connected. I'd say, good calculation and tactics does make
you a better positional player. It's kind of weird or unintuitive and
controversial say, but I really do think those two are quite connected.
Obviously, you need to have some understanding of what you need to do. But
if you don't have great calculation, you can’t execute your ideas, because
chess is very concrete in my opinion and your plans will always be foiled if
you can’t make it work concretely. So that's what I think. I don't agree with the
old school of thinking, like you can separate the two: an older player should
play more positionally against a young kid. I really don't think that applies.
You can play in a more like quiet style, but you still need to have both aspects
of the game to do well.

D: Do you have a favorite chess player that you look up to?

First I would say my favorite is Kasparov. I think my style is very similar to his
or matches pretty well. We are very active players that like the initiative. I
have always been inspired by his games. As a kid, I played the Najdorf and
King's Indian, some of his favorite openings. And I also got to work with him a
bit. So he is always been sort of an inspiration to me. He's probably my
favorite but of course, I've taken bits and pieces from magnus’ games as well.
I think he is very unique in the way he composes practical problems in
seemingly harmless situations. I think he understands very well what types of
moves make his opponents uncomfortable, even though they're objectively
not that great. I've looked at some of his games as well, but Kasparov would
be my favorite for sure.

E: Okay, cool! So do you have a specific goal that you're aiming for in your
chess career?

I'd say I like chess a lot. I would probably never stop playing in my estimation.
So I think my main goal would be to become world champion. However
achievable it is or not or feasible, but that would be for sure. I think it's always
good to set sort of a lofty goal so that you have some motivation to work
towards something great and reach your full potential, even if you fall short.

D: This ties pretty nicely into the next question, though. Have you ever
considered becoming a full time chess player? And what role do you think
chess will play in your future life?

Oh I definitely consider a lot of times becoming a full time chess player. Have
considered a lot in the past, still consider it, and definitely will consider it in
the future.

I'm sort of stuck in this weird limbo and in between: kind of playing a lot, but
also not really playing a lot. College and a lot of other things, too. So yeah, I
considered it but for some reason due to the financial aspect of it, I never
really was able to pull the trigger and be fully committed. So let's see how it
goes. That's definitely a question I'll grapple with in the future for sure.

Hopefully, chess can be something that I pursue and spend a lot of time on.
But if not that, at least hopefully on a part time parcel. It’s not necessarily a
hobby, more than that, but not my main thing. At least hopefully, that type of
level. I think it's something that always stays with me: I am sure when I'm like
riding on the bus or something, I’ll still be thinking about positions or thinking
about something chess-related. I'm probably going to say I'm sure it will
always stay with me, and then obviously, when I am old I think it will be my
number one brain exercise.

E: So what advice would you give to students for balancing chess and
schoolwork, especially in high school, middle school, college, that kind of
time in your life?

Yeah, it's pretty fresh in my mind, I struggled with that. It was difficult for me
too. Let's say you really liked to play chess, but also you have other
obligations that either maybe you think you need to do or your parents push
you or set some like boundaries and limits. That's pretty normal. And yeah, I
did struggle with it.

And I think there are definitely a lot of things I could have done better. But I
think the main thing is, to deal well with this, you sort of need to be strong
and mature, I'd say, obviously you need to prioritize your time well, manage
your time well, which is very difficult for kids or young people. I still struggle
with that as well. But yeah, I think you just need to set your priorities straight,
understand goals and what you want. If you know what you want, then you
can plan out how to get there. If you know how to get there, you know what
things you have to do on a daily basis. So once you know what things you
have to do, you just have to do them. And even if you don't like them, you
understand that life is not going to hand you everything that you want. So it's
an obligation that there are things you need to do. You might not like them,
but if you really want to reach what you want, you just have to keep your
goals in mind. There's really no other way. Just do it.

I would say the biggest advice is understanding what you want and finding
how to get there from here.

D: So you're now a freshman at Brown. Do you anticipate you playing more

or less chess during college compared to high school?

I didn't play that much in high school. In my earlier years of high school, I
played maybe once a month if I was lucky. And then later on, I even didn’t
play for a year or something. So I'm definitely hoping I can play more in
college, but I'm getting used to it. And I'm trying to see how I can handle and
juggle all things. But I definitely want to play more than I have in high school. I
think it definitely won't be easy, but I think I have sort of
built some time and I'll do everything I can to pursue it.

E: Out of curiosity, does Brown have a chess team that plays collegiately, or
not really?

Not really. Do you know Robert S? I'm gonna try to pronounce his last name,
but I hope both of you know what I'm talking about. Yeah, he's also going to
brown and I'm not sure if we have others. Maybe; I'm not sure. But I think
what we have now is better than what we've had before. Unfortunately, the
Brown chess club is not where I’m getting most of my improvement.

D: There is an amateur team tournament every year that happens in New

Jersey. Sometimes colleges bring teams to that tournament. The
requirement is you must have an average rating of 2200. So if you can,
maybe you, Robert S, and then 1900 expert players can create a pretty
strong college team for that tournament.

I definitely think I would probably participate in some capacity. I don't know

how much, depending on how much time I've had, but I think I definitely like
the team aspect of chess even though it's quite rare. But given the
opportunity, I don't see why not. I think it'd be fun.

E: All right, cool.So what do you think are the differences between studying
chess and studying other things, whether that's school or other
extracurricular stuff like that?

Studying chess is weird in the way that it’s somehow a bit intangible. Let's say
you play sports: you lift you get stronger, or you practice some dribble
moves, you'll do it more fluently. Somehow, especially in a high level chess,
all that sort of solving of positions and analyzing an opening doesn't
automatically show itself. For instance, if you lift for like a month straight, you
will become noticeably stronger. But if you work on chess a lot for a month,
the next tournament you play in a month from now on, you might not even do
well. So I think that part of chess is strange. Chess technically has no luck; it's
a complete information game. But I think there are circumstances when some
things can go your way during tournaments and sometimes not. So the
tournament you play after training, I wouldn't say it always necessarily
reflects your work. I think for other sports and extracurriculars, and
academics, it's true, but chess maybe is more long term, in terms of the effect
in terms of the effect of the work we put in.

I think that's probably the main difference. It sort of takes longer for the
effects of the work to show.

D: Yeah, for sure. I feel like sometimes when people are doing openings, they
actually dropped points when they were trying out the new openings. So it's
definitely a long journey, but it's a rewarding one sometimes. Okay, so our
final question is, what are some important skills you have developed from
chess that have helped you in other aspects of life?

I think I would definitely go back to resilience, you can definitely apply that to
all aspects of your life. And you can also extend it to being able to choose,
let's say the harder option. If it's right, compared to the easy option, I think
that's translated.

Planning probably translates as well. Oftentimes, you have different move

orders to compare in chess. So in life you have to do the same thing. Do I go
to the store first, or do I go pump gas first? Which route would I take to save
time?

I'm sure by working on chess a lot you somehow improve your brain. You are
probably more likely to be able to sit down for a long time and focus. In a
world where there's a lot of instant gratification and short attention spans, I
think chess is a very good tool to allow you to sit down and focus on difficult
things.
Andrew Z. Hong is an American chess grandmaster. Hong
became interested in chess in 2012, and was introduced to the
game by his older brother. He then joined the same chess club
and began playing in competitive tournaments. He was
nationally ranked #1 for his age group. Hong was part of the
KCF Young Stars Program, run by former World Champion Garry
Kasparov.

In September 2021, Hong defeated Ian Nepomniachtchi and

Wesley So at the PRO Chess League Arena Royale. Hong later
earned the title of Grandmaster after achieving his final norm at
the Charlotte Chess Center & Scholastic Academy Labor Day
Norm Invitational in North Carolina.
In 2022, Hong
participated in both
the U.S. Junior Chess
Championship and the
Chess.com-hosted
Junior Speed Chess
Championship.

Photo Credit: St. Louis Chess Club

 Winning with
Offbeat Openings
By: Dazhen Lu

Are you looking for new openings? Do you want some

surprise weapons that are fun to play for you and not your
opponent? Introducing: my offbeat opening repertoire.
Once upon a time, I was a principled Queen’s Gambit
player as both white and black, and against e4, I always
played e5, giving the opening choice to my opponent. I
rarely studied openings as I only focused on tactics to
improve quickly, but having a dull opening every time is just
very repetitive. After all, the opening is a third of the fun in
chess! I began looking for sidelines and even exotic
openings, and some of my findings have become my
opening weapons for over two years. Here I will share with
you some of my openings as both colors. Hopefully my
repertoire can help you crush your opponents in the future!
My Opening Repertoire as White:

Nimzo-Larsen Attack (starting

with 1. Nf3)
This is a dynamic and surprising
opening for white. As a hypermodern
opening, white intends to control the
central dark squares with the knight and
bishop, remaining flexible while also
pointing at black’s kingside with a
powerful fianchetto. The reason why I
start with 1. Nf3 is because it prevents
1. b3 e5, where the dark-squared
bishop would be limited. Here is an
example of an opening with 1. Nf3:
1. Nf3 d5 2. b3 Nf6 3. Bb2 c5 4. e3 e6 5.
c4 Nc6 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Be2 Be7 8. d4

Slav Defense, Breyer Variation

This is a sideline against the Slav that
can catch many Slav players by
surprise. The opening can spice up
quickly, and there is also a trap that
black can often fall for. The main line
goes: 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4.
Nbd2 Bf5 5. Nh4. If black did not play
Bf5 on move 4 and played e6 instead, I
would opt for a closed Catalan (a more
“principled” opening that I play) where
Nbd2 would often be a very useful
move. Black’s main move after 5. Nh4 is
to play Be4, where white can kick the
bishop with f3 and g4 immediately or
later in the game and start a potential
pawn storm on the kingside. However, if black plays the more natural looking
5… Bg6, white can reply with 6. Qb3. Another natural-looking move 6… Qb6
would fall deeper into white’s trap, as white plays the unexpected 7. Qh3!,
threatening both Qc8+ and Nxg6, with a sizable advantage.

My Opening Repertoire as Black:

Sicilian Defense, Lowenthal Variation

This offbeat and sharp sideline of the Sicilian is probably one of my favorite
openings. Black can get a quick attack against the white king and queenside,
and if white is not well prepared, they can be blasted off the board quickly.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 (the critical test for black, as
other retreating moves would result in positions equal or slightly better for
black) a6
 5… a6 marks the unique Lowenthal
Variation, inviting the knight to give a
check on d6. Other continuations by
white such as 6. N5c3 would most
likely transpose to a Sveshnikov, but
black has not yet committed to putting
the knight on f6.

6. Nd6+ Bxd6 7. Qxd6 Qf6

Here white has many options. Trading
the queen would result in an equal
position where black is enjoying his
lead in development; retreating the
queen anywhere will result in extremely
sharp positions. The mainline is 8. Qd1
8. Qd1 Qg6 9. Nc3 d5 10. Nxd5 Qxe4+
11. Be3 Nd4 12. Nc7+ Ke7 13. Nxa8
Nxc2+ 14. Kd2 Nxe3 15. fxe3 Nf6

Black is currently down a full rook, but

the position is surprisingly equal. White
has to find many accurate moves to
remain balanced, and if you know your
opening moves as black, your
opponent most likely doesn’t and you
can blow them off the board!

London System: 2… b6
Tired of playing against London
players who grind you death with
that slight edge starting from the
opening? This setup is the perfect
antidote. Black can go for rock solid
positions, or he may choose more
double-edged ones. After all, the
choice is ours after we have thrown
off those lousy London players.

When white does not play h3: 1. d4

Nf6 2. Bf4 b6 3. e3 Bb7 4. Nf3 e6 5.
Bd3 Nh5 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Bxe7 Qxe7
Black traded off white’s London
bishop and has a comfortable
position. Black can continue to play
for f5 with good center control and
intentions for a kingside attack.

When white plays h3: 1. d4 Nf6 2.

Bf4 b6 3. e3 Bb7 4. Nf3 e6 5. h3
Bd6 6. Bxd6 cxd6

Again, white’s optimal London

bishop has been traded. Although
black ends up with doubled d-
pawns, the position is very solid and
the doubled pawns give black great
center control. Once white plays c4,
black can always trade off the d6
pawn by pushing d5.

So here you have it, the full repertoire of my offbeat

openings. Hopefully it can win you tons of games while also
improving your understanding of the opening and the game!

Dazhen Lu is a 9th grader from Hunter College High

School who currently lives in New York City. He started
playing chess at the age of six, and got third place
(shared) in the 17th Manhattan Open Under 1100 section
in 2018. Dazhen is currently on the Hunter 9th grade
chess team and got third place in team standings in the
2022 US Grade Nationals and third place as well in team
standings in the 2023 High School Nationals with an
individual performance rating of 1922 with a rating of
1391. Dazhen also loves music and history, and
performed at Carnegie Hall three times as a classical
pianist.
UNPROMOTED:
ON LEARNING AND
MENTORSHIP
By Celina Zhou

“Why do we have women’s chess?”

It’s a familiar question to anyone even remotely

involved in the chess world, asked by people
inside and out. Women’s sports exist because of
natural physical differences, but chess is a mental
game, after all — so why have the separation at
all?
 That’s the argument of those who
contest its existence.
In response, I’ll tell you a
watchful eye. With a
story. friend, I took group
lessons from WGM
The first chess teacher I Katarina Nemcova, who
ever had was my older listened with the
sister. Back when she was patience of a saint while
also just beginning you we bickered over the
learn, I used to watch board.
over her should as she
played and solved
puzzles, only half paying
attention but absorbing
things all the same. When
I turned ten, I started
attending summer camps
at Webster University,
wreaking havoc in
crowded classrooms
under GM Susan Polgar’s
At the St. Louis Chess to the Renaissance
Club, I sat in on Knights and Kasparov
lectures, night after Chess Foundation’s All-
night, from WGM Sabina Girls National
Foiser, IM Dorsa Championship. Most
Derakhshani, and WGM recently, I played in the
Tatev Abrahamyan with WIM Ruth Haring
varying degrees of National Tournament of
attentiveness, Girls Champions as
sometimes half asleep, Missouri’s
and other times fully representative. Through
absorbed. these tournaments, I’ve
met friends and rivals
I’ve played girls who have pushed me
tournaments, from the farther than I could have
annual Susan Polgar gone on my own.
Foundation Girls
Invitational at Webster,
 And I still call my sister Even when I’ve seen the
every week, tease her darker side of the
about chess-boxing and community, gotten
spam her with texts talked down to and
when I find an insulted by grown men,
interesting study. watched my friends get
harassed online, seen
All that to say: in the ten the aftermath that GM
years that I’ve played Alejandro Ramirez left
chess, I’ve had the behind — there was
privilege of having always solidarity.
countless female role
models to look up to and
countless female peers
to befriend and bounce
off of.
 I don’t know what I teach patterns and
would have done pieces. I let little girls
without that, if I would look over my shoulder
still be playing. And when I play, and I listen
that’s the crux of it, in as patiently as I can
the end; women’s chess when my students bicker
must exist, otherwise and shout. I lecture,
women in chess will not, when I can, to whoever I
because we have been can, even when I don’t
shown time and time think they’re listening.
again that there is little And above all else, I try
space for us unless we to pass on what I have
carve it out ourselves. been taught and what I
And we are. At least, have learned: the joy of
we’re trying to; all of us, the game.
in our own way.
So I sit cross-legged on
library carpets and stand
at the front of
 A St. Louis native,
Celina Zhou is a
sophomore at Ladue
Horton Watkins High
School. She started
playing chess at age
five but took a couple
years to grow into her
love of the game.

Currently ranked in the top 10 for

girls in her age group, she teaches at
local schools and hosts camps for
young beginners in an effort to
create a safe space where anyone
can play. Away from the board,
Celina's an occasional flutist,
amateur baker, and aspiring writer.
You can usually find her struggling
with her manuscripts, making a mess
of her kitchen, or napping with her
kitten, Mallow.
My Long, Winding, and
Sometimes Heartbreaking
Journey to NM (Part 2)
By: Roger Zhang

About the Author:

Roger Zhang is a sophomore in Livingston, NJ.
He recently became a master in July and still
continues to actively play in tournaments. He and
his friends led his high school varsity team to win
the NJ High School Team Championship in
March 2023. Besides chess, he also enjoys math,
science, track, cross country, and has a liking for
speedrunning the game 2048.
At the beginning of May, I was rated 2116. Last May, I had almost the same rating, and it was all
okay. For me, I didn’t care that I had seemingly made no progress for an entire year. At that point,
I could trust that my training in the last couple of months had been more efficient than even the
entirety of 2022 combined. May was a major turning point when I could see the fruits of my efforts
in the dark be rewarded. I played in my first Marshall Chess Club tournament in six months,
making a draw to an IM as Black, and gaining twenty points. At the end of May, my mother and I
traveled to Chicago to play in the Chicago Open. And that tournament was very special.

I lost the first game as white against an FM. At some other time I would learn to move on, but the
tragedy of the US Masters was still fresh in my mind. I felt desperate not to let the tournament turn
into a repeat of it. Fortunately for me, I played another FM in the second round and drew. That
was all the validation I needed to move on, knowing that this tournament wouldn’t end like the US
Masters. On the second, third, and fourth days I showed everyone, but most importantly myself,
what I was capable of doing. There were defeats, of course, but I showed what felt like my own
style, a style that I truly loved. I ended up with 5/9 in the challenging open section. I’ll show you the
last game, against another strong master, which taught me that chess is also a “mind game”.

Ryan Clayton - Roger Zhang, Chicago Open, 5/29/23

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3!? The Ponziani was a shock to me, and I didn’t have any preparation. All I
could do was play it safe and try to reach a playable position. 3…Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 Nd5 6. cxd4
Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Bxd2+ 8. Qxd2 d6 9. Nc3 dxe5 10. Bb5 exd4 11. Qxd4 Nf6?! (11…Qe7+ 12.Kf1 Nxc3
was safer) 12. Qxd8+ Kxd8 13. O-O-O+ Ke7 14. Rhe1+ Be6 15. Ng5? This was my opponent’s first
mistake of the game. 15.Bxc6 bxc6 16.Nd4 would have won the pawn back with a better position.
13…Rhd8 16. Nxe6 fxe6 17. Bxc6 bxc6 18. Re5 Rxd1+ 19. Kxd1 Black is clearly a tiny bit better,
with the extra pawn, but my pawn structure was a complete mess. I found it inconceivable to win,
but from now on, I found what White feared the most, and went for it! 19…Nd5 20. Re4 Rb8 21.
Kc2 Nb4+ 22. Kb1 Nd5 23. Kc2 Nb4+ 24. Kb1 Nd5!?

What my opponent feared the most was a draw! I had

guessed it correctly from the start, and I was literally
asking him if he wanted it. He could have claimed it
immediately by playing 25.Kc2, but I knew he didn’t
want a draw against a person rated two hundred
points lower. So, he made a move that weakened his
position. But don’t get me wrong, I really wanted to
win as well! 25. Rc4 Kd7 26. a3 Nxc3+ 27. Rxc3 Rf8
28. f3 Rf5 29. Kc2 Re5 30. Kd2 Rb5 31. Kc2 Kd6 32.
Rc4 Re5 33. Kd3 Rd5+ 34. Kc2 Rc5 35. Kd3 Rd5+
The pawn endgame is not winning for Black because
of the crippling pawn structure.
36. Kc3 Rc5 37. Kd4 Rd5+

Again, I’m offering him a draw, knowing that he

wouldn’t accept. If he played 38.Kc3 I think we would
just have a quick draw afterwards. But then White
would never have any winning chances. So, he
weakened his position even more, steering the game
even closer to a Black win. 38. Ke3? The wrong side.
Black can now attack the queenside pawns and try to
use the king and rook to trade off one of the doubled
c-pawns. 38…Rb5 39. Rd4+ Ke7 40. Rd2 Re5+ 41.
Kf4 Rd5 42. Rc2 Kd6 43. g4 g5+ 44. Ke3 Re5+ 45.
Kf2 Rc5 46. Re2 Re5 47. Rc2 Rc5 48. Re2

Now, I knew that White finally realized that a draw

was all he could realistically achieve. But by this
point, I was intent on winning the game for good.
48…Rc1 49. Rd2+ Ke7 50. Ke3 c5 Trying to exchange
off the doubled c-pawn. 51. Kd3 c4+ 52. Kd4 c5+! 53.
Kxc5 c3 54. bxc3 Rxc3+ 55. Kd4 Rxf3 56. Rb2 Rxa3
Now the endgame is truly winning, although it is not
trivial. I managed to win the game without allowing
much counterplay. 57. Rb7+ Kf6 58. Rxh7 Ra4+ 59.
Ke3 a5 60. Kf3 Ra1 61. Ke4 a4 62. Rh6+ Kg7 63. Rh3
a3 64. Re3 a2 65. Re2 Kf6 66. Rf2+ Ke7 67. Re2 Kd6
68. Rd2+ Kc5 69. Re2 Kc4 70. h4 gxh4 71. g5 h3 72.
g6 h2 Finally, I had won, because my opponent was
just too afraid of a draw. But it wouldn’t have been
possible if I didn’t understand what he wanted! 0-1

Chess is a lot more than just tactics, strategy, openings, and endgames. A large part of victory is
about knowing your opponent and what they want!

I was also sick throughout the entire tournament, which made it so special. Since everyone that I
played was above master level, with some in the FM range, I got thirty-three points, ending with
a rating of 2183 at the end of the month. Even more amazing was that in March, my FIDE rating
was 1830, but after the Chicago Open, it rose above 2050. Now, a lot more people I knew were
telling me that I would make it. My chess friends said to me that they believed in me, showing me
that my performance rating was between 2250 and 2300 in nearly every tournament. In their eyes,
that was my potential. Only seventeen points away, I could finally believe that the pain that had
plagued me for months was over, and was worth it. So would the last part of my journey be
sunshine and rainbows?
We all hoped so, just like we all hoped that I could quickly get the title before the summer of
2022. Those questions would be answered at two back-to-back 9-round tournaments at the end
of June, the ultra-strong Philadelphia International, and the World Open, one of the biggest
annual American tournaments. I knew that the title would come eventually, but I felt an
intense sense of urgency, like I desperately needed it there and then. And it shows that I hadn’t
learned my lesson again, because it interfered with my performance massively. Just like the
Chicago Open, I still had haunting memories of the disaster at the US Masters. Only this time,
things didn’t get better.

I lost the first two games, and I had nightmares again. Then, playing against 2000-rated
players, I made a draw and a loss, like the person playing those games just wasn’t me. Even
now, after reaching NM, those feelings hurt immensely. I knew I was losing over thirty points,
bringing me lower than I had been before the Chicago Open. I remembered how I had worked
so hard to gain those thirty points, and now it was all for nothing. Even with half a point, I was
doing worse than the US Masters. It was already a massive struggle to keep hope in the months
after the US Masters, but after the first half of the Philly International, I had enough. I wanted
to quit. There would be no hope for the last five rounds, and back home I knew that it would
all be my fault. I didn’t want to imagine what “coming home” would feel like.

Don’t let one bad tournament performance ruin your confidence!

Everyone I’ve talked to believes that the climax of my journey was in those painful days in
January and February. It was actually this day, only two weeks before I got the title.
Something happened that night, going to the gym and doing a run that amazed me. Something
changed, after countless friends, many of whom didn’t know anything about chess, texted me,
comforting me and insisting that I had the strength to make it to NM. I’d realize later that they
were the people who were there for me when I truly needed it.

And so, I went on for a couple more days. I won the next two games against weak players, but
even so, I knew that I did the best I could. Eventually, I ended with 4/9, winning a great bishop
endgame in the last game, and even though I still had to lose sixteen points, I realized that my
friends had saved me from quitting. On the other hand, my confidence was shaken, and no
longer did I feel like I had the strength of a 2250-2300 rated master.

After a one-day break, my father and I went to Philly again and I played the first round,
expecting that no one would believe me anymore. I didn’t believe in myself anymore. I didn’t
believe that I could get at least thirty-three points in a single tournament. But I guess that at
that point, the strength and style I had built up in the last few months would refuse to abandon
me. Besides the first game, when I lost against an IM by losing out of the opening, I was still
playing the style that I really loved. I was pleased with my performance from game two to game
six. Though I hoped I could’ve done better, I still had 3.5/6 and decent chances of making it.
All I needed to do was win two out of the last three games.
The seventh game came, and I lost to another 2300 rated player as Black. I was okay in the
opening, but tried too hard to draw, entering an endgame that was very difficult for me to hold.
Even a single loss felt heartbreaking because I couldn’t trust myself to win the last two games
against masters. Worse, I felt my body temperature unexpectedly rise during the fourth hour, and
it registered to me that I was sick again. This time, with moderate to severe diarrhea.

The night before the last day, I couldn’t fall asleep, so I was tossing and turning in my bed sheets
for nine hours. The diarrhea caused me to run to the bathroom a couple times, and every fifteen
to thirteen minutes there was a minute of unbearable pain. When I woke up in the morning, I was
worn out, and the pain didn’t get better. I knew that during those moments of pain I wouldn’t be
able to concentrate, and I was terrified that one of those bouts would happen in time trouble.
Withdrawing was a very reasonable choice at that point. My parents were telling me to do it. The
odds were stacked against me. I thought to myself, Why did life have to do this to me? I wish life
was just a little more merciful when I need it most! But I insisted to myself that I could succeed
even in a merciless world.

If something seems impossible, forget about the odds and just try.

I didn’t withdraw. Throughout the eighth game, the pain was extremely intense, and nothing
could make me feel better. However, I made sure to keep enough time on my clock so that I
wouldn’t fall into time trouble, winning comfortably. I was paired as Black against another
master for the last round, and in my mind, a draw or a loss wasn’t an option. However, I knew
that if I played with a must-win mentality, I could easily become reckless and take too many risks.
Thus, when my opponent played the Italian Game, I happily accepted, knowing that the game still
had the potential to become very sharp. I didn’t even have to make an imbalance; my opponent
made it, and after some long thinks, I figured out the nuances of the position that he had only
examined superficially. For a while, I was very worried that I would fall into time trouble, but
when I was close to winning he used up almost all his time. There was a point when I
miscalculated, and entered an endgame when I thought I was winning, but when I realized I was
only better, I feared that I’d have to fight hard again for the win. Fortunately, I played the right
attacking moves, while my opponent made a couple inaccuracies, and I won a rook, ending the
game for good. In the end, I knew that I had at least a chance of reaching NM after the World
Open. In any case, two days later, when the results came out and I fell short by four points, I
didn’t feel much worse. I was amazed at how much I had to persevere through and overcome.

The result of a game or tournament often matters less than the effort you put in and the resilience
you show.

I knew that I would play in a Marshall Chess Club tournament the following weekend, and I was
ready to win the first game. Even with my parents telling me that I had to be mentally prepared to
draw or even lose and keep playing, my heart was full of confidence that I could win. I knew that
now, I was chasing goals much higher than NM. And guess what? I crushed my opponent, with an
attacking style that I loved.
Here’s my final game, against a 2030 rated expert:

Roger Zhang - Kylan Huang, Marshall Premier, 7/8/23

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. a4 Rb8 8. c3 d6 9. d4 Bb6 10. a5
Ba7 11. h3 O-O 12. Be3 Ra8 I was not completely expecting this line of the Ruy, but I knew the
ideas, and was ready when my opponent made the mistake. 13. Re1 Bb7 14. Nbd2 exd4 15. cxd4
Re8?

I could feel something fishy about this move order,

and quickly realized that Black had not played h6.
And here, I was able to make the tactics work.
16. Ng5! Re7 17. e5! dxe5 18. dxe5 Nd5 (the critical
point is that 18…Bxe3 19.Rxe3 Nxe5 20.Rxe5! Rxe5
21.Nxf7 wins) 19. Bxa7 Nxa7 20. e6 fxe6 21. Nxe6?!
(21.Qc2 followed by Rxe6 was better, but I liked my
idea, and it was also winning. 21…Qd6 22. Ng5!
Rxe1+ 23. Qxe1 c5 24. Nde4! Qe7 25. Nxc5! Qxg5
(25…Qxc5 26.Qe6+ Kh8 27.Nf7+ with a classic
smothered mate) 26. Nxb7 Kh8 27. Qe4 Nf6 28. Nd6!
The final blow, hanging the queen but winning it back
with an extra piece! 28…Nxe4 29. Nf7+ Kg8 30.
Nxg5+ Kf8 31. Nxe4 1-0

Often, when you’re strong enough, you can expect the title to come to you.

I had two thoughts right before the game ended. First, the game never felt so freeing to me in a
long, long time. I finally could say goodbye to those painful feelings just one to two weeks ago.
No longer will I look back at my journey in regret. For once in eight months, I could enjoy the
game for the beauty that it is.

It’s good to think about ratings, results, and achievements. It’s more important to simply enjoy
studying and playing chess!

The second feeling is perhaps more important. I knew that as soon as I got home, I would thank
everyone I knew. I would tell all the loyal friends who were there for me when I needed them most
how much they mattered throughout my journey. I wrote letters to coaches who really cared
about me, telling them that my journey would not have happened without them, that I would have
quit long before reaching the title. And most of all, I thanked my family for always holding on
and supporting me unconditionally in times when it was very reasonable to give up. They were
always beside me no matter where I went.
After reaching a noteworthy goal, be sure to thank everyone around you who helped you along
the way!

After my opponent resigned, I knew that I had crossed the line to NM, and naturally, I withdrew
from the tournament and enjoyed an amazing weekend. Thinking of all the tournaments when I
could have withdrawn but chose to fight for another day even when the pain felt like it was
overwhelming, it never felt so great to withdraw for the first time ever!

My biggest fear about reaching NM was that it wasn’t going to matter to anyone but me. No one
would care. Just hours after I won that game, my parents, coaches, and friends were posting on
social media and dozens of people instantly started to congratulate me. There were even people
who got inspired by my story and chose to pick up chess again. I never knew that my own
achievement could have such a far-reaching impact. Just days ago, at a party we were hosting, one
of our family friends bought me a cake specifically made to celebrate my achievement of becoming
an NM. They knew next to nothing about chess. But I think that single act opened my heart more
than getting the title itself.

Reaching NM isn’t rare at all; it only takes a lot of continued dedication and effort. Thousands of
people in the United States alone have done it. And it’s also nothing to boast about because there
are also so many FMs, IMs, and GMs who could still easily crush me. Sometimes, I still try to
imagine how better off I might be if I reached this goal six or twelve months ago instead of just
now. And every time I start to regret, I think to myself, How many of these lessons would I have
learned if my road was perfectly smooth?

It’s not the destination that matters; it’s the journey and the lessons along the way.

And it’s about finding a new, stronger goal when you exceed your old milestone.

Left: My first tournament at the

Marshall Chess Club in October
2018. Right: A picture of me right
after winning my last game. A very
striking transformation, both on
the inside and outside!
 HOW I WON THE
ALL-GIRLS
NATIONALS By Audrey Zhou

My chess journey began in

kindergarten when my dad
gave me a chess set. He
taught me how to play and
even found me a chess
teacher to improve my
skills. As I started to play
tournaments, my rating
steadily increased,
eventually reaching 1300,
making me the top-ranked
girl in my age group.

I remember my first major

competition – the All-Girls
Nationals when I was
seven. I got second place
with a score of 5/6, and it
was a moment that made
my parents proud. It made
all the time I spent
studying worth it.
However, after that tournament, my progress seemed to stop. My
rating got higher and lower, but it never reached 1500. My chess
teacher, who had taught me for three years, decided to focus on
improving his chess skills, so I found a new teacher. Sadly, the classes
with my new teacher weren’t useful, and my learning stopped again.

For four long years, my rating remained at 1300 while my childhood

friends continued to get better. As a competitive person, this was
beyond frustrating, and I began to doubt my ability to ever reach
1500. I’d started to give up on chess.

But my mom refused to let me quit.

She found me a new chess teacher,
and after a lot of determination and
effort, I managed to get my rating
from 1300 to 1700 in just one month.

In April, I returned to the All-Girls

Nationals, the same tournament that
I got second place in when I was
seven. This time, I was trying to get
first place.
The first four rounds of the tournament flowed smoothly, and I
maintained a perfect score of 4/4. Round 5, where I paired off
against Zoey Moore, was a challenge since I didn't have full
confidence in my opening. While I held a superior position
throughout the game, I could only make use of the advantage in
the endgame. I had a perfect 5/5 score now.

The final game against Anvitha Penagalapati was the most

important game. In the middle of the game, she offered a draw. I
agonized over the decision, convinced that her position was
stronger. Accepting the draw would mean the first-place winner
would be determined by tiebreaks. I chose to accept the draw,
anxiously awaiting the final standings.

After a long wait, the

standings were announced,
and I was shocked to see my
name at the top of the list. I
had won first place based on
tiebreaks, with only half of a
point more than Anvitha.

After seven years of studying,

finding new teachers, and
tournaments, my hard work
had finally paid off.
Here I am sharing with you all two games from the tournament that I have
reflected upon.

Audrey Zhou (1653) vs. Zoey Moore (1536)

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd 4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3

Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. f3 O-O
8. Qd2 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxd5 Qxd5 11. Nxc6
bxc6 12. c3 Rd8

13. O-O-O
I decided not to take the queen because I wanted
to make the c6 pawn a weakness.

13... Bb7

14. Bc4
My openings wasn't very good, but I managed to
get out of trouble with tactics.

14... Qxd2+ 15. Rxd2 Rxd2 16. Bxd2 e6 17. Be3 Kf8
18. Rd1 Ke8 19. Kc2 a5 20. a4 Be5 21. g3 Bc7
22. Bc5 Ba6 23. Bxa6 Rxa6 24. Kd3 Kd8 25. Kc4+
Kc8 26. f4 Bb6

27. Bxb6
I chose to trade bishops because I knew that I
would end up with a passed pawn after the trade.
 27... Rxb6 28. b4 axb4 29. cxb4 Kc7 30. Kc5 Rb7
31. h4 Ra7

32. a5
This position is equal, but it's tricky. I maneuvered
my rook, trying to get Zoey to make a mistake.

32... Rb7 33. Ra1 Rb5+ 34. Kc4 Kb7 35. Ra2 Rd5
36. Ra3 Rb5 37. Rc3 Rd5 38. Rd3 Ka6

39. Re3
During the game, I knew that I had a small
advantage, but I wasn't sure how to win.

39... Kb7 40. Rd3 Ka6 41. Rd4 Kb7

42. g4 Kc7
This was a mistake, as now I can trade rooks and
have an active king and a past pawn.

43. Rxd5 exd5+ 44. Kc5 Kb7 45. b5 cxb5 46. Kxb5 d4 47. Kc4 Ka6 48. Kxd4 Kxa5
49. Ke5 Kb6 50. Kf6 Kc7 51. Kxf7 Kd7 52. f5 h5 53. fxg6 hxg4 54. g7 g3 55. g8=Q g2
56. Qxg2 Kd6 57. Qg5 Kd7 58. Qf6 Kc7 59. Qe6 Kb7 60. Qd6 Ka7 61. Qb4 Ka6 62.
Ke6 Ka7 63. Kd7 Ka6 64. Kc6 Ka7 65. Qb7# 1-0
Anvitha Penagalapati (1668) vs. Audrey Zhou (1653)

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6 3. f4 a6 4. Nf3 Qc7

5. a4
This stops my plan of ...b5 and ...Bb75... b6

5... b6 6. d3 Bb7 7. g3 d6 8. Bg2 Nd7 9. O-O Ngf6

10. Qe2 Be7

11. b3
I didn't understand this move, it weakens the dark
squares

11... O-O 12. Bb2 Rad8 13. Rad1 Rfe8 14. Rd2 Bf8
15. Nd1 Bc6 16. Nf2 b5 17. axb5 axb5 18. d4 Qb7

19. Rc1 cxd4

I missed ...Nxe4, winning a pawn
 20. Nxd4 e5 21. Nxc6 Qxc6

22. f5
I was confused by this move, it completely
blocks white's light squared bishop.

22... Ra8 23. Kh1 Ra2 24. Nd3 Qb6 25. Bc3 Ra7
26. Rcd1 Nc5 27. Nb4 Rc8 28. Bb2 Na6

29. Nxa6 Rxa6

In this position, Anvitha offered a draw. I chose
to accept because of my bad pawn structure.

1/2-1/2

Audrey Zhou is a 7th grade student at

Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School in New
York. She started chess at the age of 5,
and won second place in the 2019 All-
Girls National Championship, and first
place in the 2023 All-Girls National
Championship.
 My Trip To The
Henry
Deng Barber
The Barber Tournament of Middle School State Champions is an invitational event
where state champions from grades 6 to 8 (from each state) compete in a tournament to
determine the Champion of Champions. It is held alongside the Rockefeller Tournament
of Elementary State Champions, the Denker Tournament of High School State
Champions, as well as the Haring (for girls) and Irwin (for seniors) events. In addition,
the U.S. Open was held in the same location as well.

I was the Northern California representative (North and South California are
considered separate states) and this year the event was in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The timing was quite unfortunate though since there was a huge storm in the area at the
time, and we had to wait a long time at the airport for an
Uber ride since nobody wanted to drive in the storm.
Luckily, I made it to the hotel where the event was taking
place. Unfortunately, other players had flight delays
caused by the storm and some missed the opening
ceremony and the first round. After the first day, the storm
passed and there was no further trouble.

A memorable moment from the opening ceremony

was when Dewain and Susan Barber donated a large
sum (over $300K!) of money to ensure the Barber
Henry Deng is in 8th grade and tournament would continue to run. It was great to see the
lives in Northern California. He is commitment the two of them had made for chess and this
a FM with FIDE rating of 2300
gift to US Chess will have a profound impact. But without
and the Champion of the 2021
National Rockefeller further ado, here are some critical moments from my
Championship. games.
round 1
Havish Nagasai Kunchanapalli -
Henry DENG

White’s last
move was a big
mistake. How
can Black take
advantage of
it?
15…g5! We can now see why Qg4 was a poor move, after 16.Bg3 Black has 16…
h5! winning a tempo on the queen followed by h4, trapping the bishop. Obviously,
17.Qh3, hoping for h4 when the pawn is pinned and he can go f3, fails quite simply to
g4. My opponent chose to give up the bishop with 16.Rfd1, but after 16…h5 17.Qh3
g4! trapping the queen, my opponent did not survive for long.

This round wasn’t difficult, and I had a nice, long rest before the next round. The
playing hall was large and spacious, but it was quite a
distance from my hotel room to the playing hall,
which was located in a different area.

Result: 0-1
win
 round 2
Henry deng - Kaustubh Kodihalli

Should White
play Bxc5? If not,
why not?
22.Bxc5? Probably the critical mistake! It
doesn’t seem so terrible at first glance, white
has an extra pawn, but I completely under-
estimated his activity. In the remainder of
the game, it’s interesting to see how helpless
White is while the Black rook casually wreaks havoc on the queenside pawns. In the
endgame, activity (especially if a rook is on the second or seventh rank) is worth a lot
more than a few pawns that are not even close to being able to be promoted. This
coupled with the fact that white’s king is essentially immobile, since if h3 then g3 and if
white plays g3 then the h2 pawn needs protection, makes the position extremely
difficult to defend.

22.b3 or 22.Kg1 was the correct move, and the position is roughly equal. White
doesn’t have many chances to win, but neither does Black.

22…Qxe2 23.Rxe2 Rd2 24.Bxe7? Technically the decisive

mistake, but White had to find 24.Rxd2 Rxd2
25.g3! Rxc2 26.Rf2 Rxc4 27.Bxe7, where
white is still slightly worse. Instead, I
eyed another juicy free pawn.
Unfortunately for me, Black is going to
get the material back with interest.
 round 2 (continued)
Henry deng - Kaustubh Kodihalli

24…Rxe2 25.Bxd8 Rxc2 26.Bxa5 Rxb2

27.Re1 Kf7 28.e6+ Ke8 29.Rd1 Bd4! 30.c5
Bxc5…0-1

Technically, the material is equal, but the

contrast between White’s and Black’s position
is striking. The White king is unable to
contribute to the game, the e-pawn is firmly
blockaded, and the a2 pawn is a goner. The
connected passers on the queenside will decide
the game. I tried playing on for a few more
moves but the result was inevitable.

This was not a good game from my side. I suppose it was likely a combination of
overpushing and misevaluation. Earlier in the game,I had a better position, but it was
time to change my mindset and be more objective about my chances. I definitely
realized my mistake during the game but alas, it was too late to salvage a draw.
Luckily, I managed to overcome it and win the next game.

Result: 0-1
loss
round 3
Aaradhya panda - Henry deng

Should White
play Qxc6? If
not, why not?
28.Qxc6? White wins a pawn temporarily;
however, Black is going to play Rd2+ and
Rxc2 where the pawns on a2 and c3 are
attacked. Thus, White will be down a pawn
in the endgame and quite likely completely
lost.

Better was 28.c4 with rough equality.

28…Rd2+ Qxc6 first was also fine 29.Kg1 Qxc6 30.Bxc6 Rxc2 31.a4 Rxc3 and I
converted the extra pawn into a win. …0-1

This win lifted my spirits a little, but I was still a little down because of the result of the
previous round.

Result: 0-1
win
 round 4
Henry deng - jesse ren

The pawn on a4
looks like a free
pawn. Should
Black take it? If
not, why not?

27…Qxa4?? A big blunder! Here, Black should take care of his king with Kf8, and
he is still in the game, although White is still better.

28.Bh6! Now it transpires that Black’s king is in mortal danger. 28…Bg6 would
allow Rxg7. If 28…Kf8 then 29.Rxf7+ Kxf7 30.Qxg7+ Ke6 31.Qg4+ skewering the
rook, and also with the threat of d5, for example if 31…f5 then 32.d5+ is a discovered
attack, winning the Black queen on a4. If 28…g6, then 29.Ne4 is a rather direct win,
followed by Qf4 if needed, and the f6-pawn will fall, along with Black’s king.

28…g5 29.Bxg5 29.Ne4! was a quicker win, but Bxg5 is still enough 29…fxg5
30.Qxg5+ Kf8 31.Qf6 1-0
 round 4 (continued)
Henry deng - jesse ren

31…Qa2 32.c4 and if 31…Qe8 32.Rxe8+

Rxe8 33.Qh6+ Kg8 34.Qg5+ picking up the
knight on a5.

A decent win against a good chess player, I

definitely felt better after this round. I managed
to win the next round, and in the last round I
made a draw.

Result: 1-0
win

In the end, I tied for fourth with 4.5/6, a decent score, but it definitely could have
been a lot better if I didn’t lose the second round. I think it is a great tournament and I
feel privileged to be able to play in it. All in all, I appreciated the way the event was
run and I definitely learned a few things from this experience, such as being objective
about my chances, even against lower rated opponents, and making sure to value
activity more.

final score:
4.5/6
end
 Yasser Seirawan:
The Bob Ross of Chess
By Skylar El-Hamri

Yasser Seirawan was born in Syria. His father

was Syrian and his mother from Nottingham,
where he spent some of his childhood. His family
then immigrated to Washington, Seattle. Here, his
father introduced him to chess at the age of 12.
Some may say that’s somewhat old for someone
who would then become a super GM. Although as
said, his father introduced him to chess. Yasser
always talks about how Bobby Fischer’s boom was
a very significant moment for him and his chess
career. Only a year after, he became Washington
Junior Champion, and then, World Junior Champion,
at 19, when he also gained his Grandmaster title.
 After gaining his GM norms, Yasser helped
Viktor Korchnoi at the World Championship. By this
time he played one of his most memorable
tournaments: Philips and Drew Kings, where he
finished 3rd. He also was the only one who won
against the World Champion Anatoly Karpov. Let's
look at the game!

GM Yasser Seirawan vs GM Anatoly Karpov

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4. The English opening! 2...e6 3. Nc3

d5 4. d4 transposing into a Queen’s Gambit Declined.
4...Be7 5. Bg5 h6. 6. Bh4 O-O 7. Rc1 b6 8. cxd5 Nxd5
9. Nxd5 exd5 10. Bxe7 Qxe7.

Here, we have kind of a critical position, where

we can see Yasser opted for 11. g3 instead of 11.e3
which is normally done in these kinds of positions.
11. Re8 12. Rc3 with the idea of Re3 in case it’s
needed. 12. Bg2 would fall into 12…Ba6, which looks
pretty annoying and dangerous. 12...Na6 13. Qa4 c5??

This was a serious

mistake that made the
game take a very big
turn. At this moment,
Yasser found a very
powerful move.

14. Re3! Moving the queen anywhere just leads to

losing the rook, so you must block. 14...Be6 (However,
Karpov was probably well aware that he was losing a
piece, his idea was to sacrifice the exchange in order
to get a very powerful attack) 15. Qxa6 cxd4 16.
Rb3! If 16. Nxd4? Qb4+ wins the knight back. 16...Bf5
17. Bg2 Bc2
18. Nxd4! Sacrificing the exchange, but leaving
Yasser with two pieces for a rook, which, following
the chess principles, is simply better. (If you think
about trying to save the rook by moving it to a3,
18...Qb4+ would lose your right to castle and would
win the pawn in b2, leaving black in an equal position
[according to the engine] but with black having a
lead in attack.)

18...Bxb3 19. Nxb3 Rac8 20. Bf3 preparing 21.O-O. If

20.O-O?? Qxe2 leads to a very powerful attack.
20...Rc2 21. O-O Rxb2 22. Rd1 Rd8 23. Nd4 Rd7 24.
Nc6 Qe8 25. Nxa7 Rc7 26. a4 Qa8
27.Rxd5!! Sacrificing the knight that couldn’t move
anywhere for a very powerful attack. 27...Qxa7! If
27…Rxa7 then 28.Qd3 with an unstoppable threat of
Rd8+. 28. Rd8+ Kh7 29. Qd3+ f5 30. Qxf5+ g6 31.
Qe6
1-0

With this insane win against a world champion,

Yasser's name started to resonate around the world
especially in the US, since he started to be the go-
to player for the US.
 After this period of time, Yasser had some poor
tournaments, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t
improving his chess, as he had some good games
where he had beaten some strong GMs such as
Mikhail Tal and Boris Spassky. He then went to
become a candidate for the World Championship
more than once. It didn’t go well most of the time;
however, he had one of his best wins against
World Champion Garry Kasparov, becoming one of
the very few people who have won against both
Kasparov and Karpov. Although that game is very
interesting and it's worth studying and looking at, I
found a more interesting game between Yasser
and Kasparov. Even though Yasser lost in this game,
he talks about this game in his book "Chess duels"
(which I really recommend). Yasser finds this game
really funny since as he says, Kasparov at one point
of the game, slammed the clock really hard, so hard
that he made the pieces jump!! Let's take a look at
the actual game though:
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c5 3.c4 dxc4 4.Nc3 cxd4 5.Qxd4 Qxd4.
Exchanging the queens, transposing to an early
endgame quite fast. 6.Nxd4 Bd7 7.Ndb5

Na6! 8.e4 Nf6 9.f3 10.Nxb5 e5 11.Be3 Bb4+ 12.Kf2

Ke7 13.Bxc4 winning his pawn back. 13...Rhc8
14.Rac1 Bc5! 15.Rhd1 Bxe3+ 16.Kxe3 Ne8 17.Bb3
Rxc1 18.Rxc1 f6 19.a3.
 We can see how
Yasser's idea of
not letting Garry
develop his knight
into the game,
forcing him to
waste tempi in
moving his knight
back.

19...Nd6! If 19...Kd8? Then 20.Be6! Nac7 21.Rd1+

Ke7 22.Nxc7 Nxc7 23.Rd7+ Kxe6 24.Rxc7.
20.Bd5! Nxb5 21.Bxb7 Nbc7! Sacrificing the
exchange as he did in the last game we saw
against Karpov, Yasser was afraid that after 21…
Rb8 22.Bxa6 you are even in material but
kasparov is up a pawn, he preferred the
compensation of 2 knights against a rook, which
usually is ok but here we can see a very
ambiguous position since the knights will end up
placed in a very awkward place of the board.
22.Bxa8 Nxa8 23.Rc8! Kasparov immediately
infiltrates with a tempo on the knight, with ideas of
maybe grabbing h7 g7 pawns. 23.Nb6 24.Rg8! Kf7
25.Rh8 Nc5. It may look like Yasser sacrificed a
pawn but after 26.Rxh7?? Kg8 forces the rook to
become less active and after any rook move, Nc4+
forks the king and a pawn, but also leaves an
inactive rook and an "isolated" king vs two active
knights. 26.Rb8 Ke7 27.b4 Nc4+??

This is a game
changing
mistake, since
yasser starts
to become
very passive,
the engine
prefers 27…
Ncd7 keeping
the initiative.
28.Ke2 Nd7 29.Rg8 g5 30.a4 a5 31.bxa5 Nxa5. We
can see how Kasparov now has a passed pawn on
the a file, which is very unpleasant for Yasser but
it's still an ambiguous position since Yasser has the
two knights. 32.Ra8 Nc6 33.a5 Kd6 34.g3 h5 35.h4
gxh4 36.gxh4 Nc5 37.a6. Garry's only hope is
promoting his pawn. 37...Kc7 38.a7? A mistake
according to Yasser, Kasparov should've opted for
38.Ke3. Anyways, Yasser couldn’t find the
punishing move 38...Kb6! 38…Nb7??

1-0
I would like to share the exact words that Yasser
wrote about this last move:

“A short-circuit error induced by time-trouble. My

brain fried from the tension. When I realized that
39.Rc8+ followed by queening was possible, I gave
up. Instead, after 38...Kb6! 39.Ke3! Nxa7 40.Rh8 Nc6
41.Rxh5 Kc7 white's practical winning chances are
excellent. I doubt I could have saved the game, but I
could put up a fight.”

Sad loss but a very important and interesting game

for Yasser's career.

After this, Yasser remained as a really really strong

GM, and this "title" persisted until the 1990s and
beyond. In the 1990s especially, he had one of his
best (if not the best) games of his chess career,
against GM Jan Timman. Yasser "ended" his chess
career winning his 4th and final US championship in
2000.
Nowadays Yasser has become one of the best
chess commentators and writers, melting our souls
with his lectures at the St Louis Chess Club. Many
people would say that Yasser really is the Bob Ross
of Chess, since he has that caring and welcoming
voice that takes you into a whole other world and
lets you view the board as a whole other universe.
Thank you Yasser!
From Skyler El-Hamri:

Hello, this is Skyler! I am 16 years old, and I'm

currently taking 1st of bachillerato(which would be
the equivalent of 11th grade in the US). I live in
Ceuta, a very small city in Spain. Even though I
started playing chess just a few years ago, I am
currently teaching chess with a small team. I have
played a few FIDE rated tournaments, one of them
being the Spanish youth championship. I look
forward to raising the recognition of many Spanish
players, and more importantly, hopefully creating
strong ceuta players for the future!
The Power of Barry the Bee-
pawn - Surprise Tool
By Ruoxiao Xia

Many openings are overlooked when it comes to pre-game

preparation. Most chess players prefer the classic 1.e4 or 1.d4 as
white. Some may choose to switch it up with an English or a Reti. An
extremely uncommon but interesting opening would be the
Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack, starting with 1.b3. This opening occurs
rarely, maybe 1 in 100 games. When you use such an opening, it is
very likely that your opponent will have zero preparation and
knowledge of how to play such a position, which will likely leave you
with a massive advantage in time and psychology. This is not a
dubious opening in any manner, and is perfectly playable. Many
different setups can result from 1.b3, depending on Black’s next move.
A small advantage is usually always assured, with easy plans and play.
I will show you a game I played at the 2023 Pan-American Youth
Championship. During this game I played white against a kid from the
Dominican Republic. He was lower rated than me, at around 1730
FIDE. As white I could choose the direction of the game, and I of
course played 1.b3. My repertoire accounted for essentially all of
black’s possible responses, so I was ready for anything he played. 1…
e5. A preferable response. I generally tend to get better positions
against e5 compared to d5, but neither one is bad.

2. Bb2 Nc6 3.c4. This is where my prep divulges from most Nimzo-
Larsen players. I don’t go for the whole e3, Bb5 takes on c6 or maybe
even f4 trope. I simply go for a bit of central control, which is never
horrible. The resulting position may become a much superior
Hedgehog or a Dutch depending upon what occurs next.

3…Bc5 4. e3 Nf6 5. Qc2 developing our queen. If Nb4 then we go Qc1

and follow up with a3.
5…0-0 6. a3 a5 7. Nc3 d5 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. Nf3. Now we get a hedgehog
structure that is easy to play, maybe with d3 and Be2. Black has to
watch out for his bishop on c5, and we plan to play in the queenside
center.

9…Re8?? A terrible blunder. The

Nimzo-Larsen can often be
extremely tactical, and a
seemingly benign move like Re8
is actually dropping a pawn. Due
to the placement of his bishop on
c5 and my queen on c2, I had a
great tactic up my sleeve. A
simple 10. Nxd5 Qxd5 and 11.
Bc4 results in him being forced
to go 11…Qd8, as my opponent
cannot allow Ng5 threatening f7
and h7 at the same time. Now, I
can 12. Bxf7+ Kxf7 13. Qxc5,
winning a pawn.

13…Qf6 14. d4 exd4 15. Bxd4

Nxd4 16. Nxd4 c6 17. 0-0 Re5 18.
Qc4+ Kf8 19. Rae1 c5 20. f4 Rh5
21. Qe2 Qh6 22. Nf3 Be6

23. Qb5 c4?! My opponent did

not see my next move, as surely
he would not have played c4. My
next move 24. Ng5! simply
blocks the attack, threatens to
take on e6 with check, and
ignores all Rxh2 ideas, which are
quite defensible. He then plays
24…Re8 to protect the e6 bishop.
This gives way to another
tactical idea, that of 25. f5!
 25. f5! You cannot take the g5 knight
because of the discovered check
after fxe6, after which you will lose
the game. He is forced to retreat his
bishop to f7, after which 26. Nxf7
Kxf7 27. Qxc4+ ensures a 2 pawn
lead, a lack of king safety for my
opponent after 27… Kf8, and the rest
is history. I went on to win this game
easily and without difficulty.

Ruoxiao Xia
(2152 peak, 2133 current)

Top 25 U13 Player in the US

Arizona State K-6 Chess
Champion
Indiana State K-6 Chess
Champion
USCF Candidate Master
Represented Indiana in the
2nd Annual John D.
Rockefeller III National
Tournament of Elementary
School State Champions
Won 1st place at the 2019
U11 U.S. Junior Open
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