As the doors to the tournament hall abruptly shut, the pressure began to mount. My first opponent seemed to have already planned the first few moves. My mom, scanning the tense atmosphere, leaned closer towards me. “You’ve prepared for this,” she whispered. The problem was I was already overwhelmed by the possibilities on the board. “Start your clocks!” boomed the tournament director.
Since age 8, I have been captivated by puzzles and solving them one by one. But, as time passed, I recognized something they all have in common: They all lead to one definitive solution. I expected life to work the same way, but reality proved different. One day, though, I discovered the ultimate metaphor for life: chess.
When most people picture chess, they imagine a quiet board game played in silence. Two players sit across from each other, move a few pieces, and wait for the other person to respond. From the outside, it can look slow or even simple.
What people do not see is what is happening in the player’s mind. Every move involves calculation and strategy. Chess teaches you to think several steps ahead, a habit that extends beyond the board.
I first became interested in chess when I was 7 years old, starting with a short-page book about chess and then later a chessboard. But it wasn’t until I joined the esports league at my school, California Virtual Academies (CAVA), that I finally got to compete with other students–and that is what drew me into the game.
Since then, I have competed in several tournaments and won multiple open championships. Last September, I placed first in the Under 1900 section of the Southern California Open, a major United States Chess Federation tournament. I was also victorious in the Los Angeles Open Under 2100 section in November 2025. Competing against opponents decades older than me reminds me that chess rewards preparation, focus, and patience more than age.
