The tournament lasted from Nov. 9 to 17. Shao and her teammates were split in different divisions according to their gender and age. Within their division, each player competed in 11 individual games. Each game was worth a certain point value; one for winning, half for drawing and zero for losing. Their total scores determined whether or not they would advance to subsequent rounds.
“This was the first time I was at this tournament, since I had never made it to the rating requirement before,” Shao said. “It was really interesting to meet a lot of people and some of them spoke English which was really surprising.”
At the start of the game, players shook hands. Each player only had a total of 90 minutes for their first 40 moves, before switching to 30 for the rest of the game. A timer on the side of the board told them how much total time they had left. After making their move, players would start the opponent’s time and record the move just played.
To attend the championships, players must have a ranking high enough for their division. Shao and the other players played in many local tournaments to get a higher Elo ranking (no, its not for League of Legends). By winning more games, her rank increased to 1826, which allowed her to qualify for her division. Shao was lucky to make it, as the minimum rank for her division was 1800.
Initially, Shao did not want to go to the tournament because she would have to miss school and have a lot of work to make up. In the end, she chose to go anyway because it would have been a memorable experience.
“Overall, I think I was able to learn how people prepare for tournaments and how other people play chess,” Shao said. “I think I gained some experience from the tournament and can use it in future games. I also had a fun time on the trip.”
Shao’s introduction to the game was actually unintentional. She has been playing chess ever since she found a chessboard as a child and asked her mom what it was.
“I was eight and my mom wasn’t too sure either,” Shao said. “She sent me to Beyond Chess to learn about it.”
Shao has been going to Beyond Chess ever since. There, instructors Ben Deng and Sarah Lu, both international chess masters, teach Shao basic strategy as well as advanced tactics for the game which gives her a competitive edge in tournaments.
The teachers help students improve by indentifying the weaknesses and strengths of each one. Every class, the students practice chess stategies against one another.
“I like to play chess because of the competition, and it lets me meet new people and gain experiences that I would never have gotten if I didn’t play,” Shao said. “I also enjoy the way chess makes me think outside the box.”
Shao also visited the Postonjna Cave while she was attending the tournament.