Journey to IM Title…and More
By IM Jason Wang
Hi everyone! I’m Jason Wang, Co-President here at Chess4Unity. Earlier this year, I achieved the title of International Master through a combination of motivation, genuine insight, and, of course, a preponderance of luck.
The coveted title of International Master in chess — the second-highest title awarded by the International Chess Federation — had always been somewhat elusive, at least to me. To gain this title, one needs to achieve an international (FIDE) rating of 2400 as well as earn three norms, which are awarded based on excellent tournament performance — a 2450 performance rating, to be exact.
I’d like to share some important parts of my journey toward this title, most of which occurred over the course of the last year. And near the end, I’d like to talk about how the confidence gained throughout the journey has affected me, even outside of the realm of chess. Let’s get straight into the journey-Part II. Please read Part I in the Newsletter Issue 1.
Part II: Southwest Class
My FIDE rating had skybounded as a result of my success in Las Vegas, shattering my previous peak up and reaching the heights of 2409. I’d reached the rating necessary to gain the IM title. Now all I needed was the final norm. And that norm would be achieved in the next tournament: the Southwest Class in Texas.
Still basking in the glory of winning the North American Open, I was confident entering the tournament — and just as quickly, I encountered a major obstacle in my first round. After completely misinterpreting the position and ending up in a losing position against an opponent rated close to 300 points lower than me, I struggled for five hours before the peace treaty was signed. It was a close call, far too close for my liking; plus, the result was certainly not what I was hoping for in the first round. A draw would almost certainly set me up for defeat in my quest for the final IM norm. But just as had been the case in the North American Open, I said aloud after this game that I would get a norm in that tournament. And yet again, this would turn out to be true… and almost better than true.
The next two rounds were not particularly impressive, but after three games I’d recovered slightly to 2.5/3. In my fourth game against Grandmaster Rahul Peddy, I was outplayed to the brink of defeat despite having about tenfold his time on the clock. Luckily, though, I spotted a trick in the last minute to win the game.
A recurring issue for me over the span of practically my entire chess journey had been my magnificently poor openings, but over the last few months I’d worked to refurbish them quite significantly. In the sixth round I faced Grandmaster Balaji Daggupati, where I essayed my newly developed Paulsen with immense effectiveness.
Combining my games against Grandmasters in the North American Open and in this tournament, I’d played a total of five grandmasters. In each game I had black, and in each game I’d won. Looking back at it, this was quite an interesting phenomena; indeed, I’d won more games against Grandmasters in the past two tournaments than I had in all my games before. Assuredly, the cause of this was still the belief that I could do it. I suppose the teenage brain does, as they say, do wonders…
After miraculously holding a draw in my egregious seventh round game, I was on 5.5/7 yet again, just as I’d been in the North American Open. To achieve my final IM norm, all I needed was a half point on the last day. In other words, I would get the IM title as long as I did not lose the final two games. Incidentally, this had happened before in the 2022 Chicago Open, much to my chagrin.
The next morning I woke up to find that I was to play Grandmaster Vladimir Belous again, whom I’d faced in the final round of the North American Open. I had the white pieces, and as Belous was a point ahead of the rest of the field at 7/7, I was almost sure that he would accept a draw offer. Plus, the flashbacks of the final round of the North American Open had likely not dissipated away yet…
Indeed, about five moves and fifteen minutes into the game, we agreed to a draw — and with that, I’d clinched my final norm with a round to spare and secured my IM title. Right after the game, I revealed to Belous my reasoning for offering this draw, to which he responded, “What? You are not an International Master yet?” I was very happy to hear that.
I suppose the typical reaction to achieving the International Master title would be that of pure excitement, but my reaction was not as intense as I’d anticipated it to be. Looking at it retrospectively, it was probably due to my belief that I could do it; I knew that the realization of the title was imminent and that it was a matter of time. Plus, there was a more relevant issue at hand: the possibility of a Grandmaster norm.
I’d done the calculations and determined that I’d achieve a Grandmaster norm if I were to win my final game. And as fate would have it, I’d face International Master Jason Liang yet again, who had served me my only loss at the North American Open.
Playing optimistically, I achieved a winning position in the middlegame. It was looking like I’d emerge victorious, like the Cinderella story would manifest itself yet again. But near the end of the game, I suddenly collapsed and my play became fragile; soon, we shook hands in view of imminent perpetual check.
This time, the Grandmaster norm, and not the International Master norm, had eluded me. I suppose my “luck,” in a sense, was bounded after all. But I was still happy enough, and I returned home knowing that I’d finally bagged the IM title. Needless to say, I took my friends out on a scrumptious hot pot dinner…
After this tournament, my confidence was bursting. I saw myself as an equal to the Grandmasters and International Masters I was playing. If I was confident after the North American Open, I was doubly so now.
Other Tournaments and General Remarks
My streak would continue.
A month and a half later after the Southwest Class marked the start of the National High School Championship, held in Washington DC. I was seeded third, and I was hoping that the momentum I’d acquired over the past few tournaments would propel me to victory.
But just as in the Southwest Class, my first round would prove to be difficult — perhaps the most difficult of the whole tournament. After horrifically navigating my way through the middlegame, my king quickly became bombarded by enemy attacks, and I had very little counterplay to show for it. Just as my opponent relented and initiated a seemingly inevitable repetition, however, I decided to eschew the draw in favor of … a losing position. I understood, of course, that I was lost, but I decided to take the gamble and leave the rest of the game to the hands of time — a gamble that would ultimately pay off.
My next few games would pass smoothly, up until my fifth round against FM Donald Johnson. After allowing an interesting sacrifice and misinterpreting the position, I defended resiliently and even managed to end up on top. Then, after a display of excellent opening preparation in the sixth round against FM Gus Huston and an unimposing seventh round draw against IM Nico Chasin, I’d done it: I was National High School Champion — my third wildly successful tournament in a row.
In philosophy they would call it the entelechy. In traditional terms they would call it the realization of potential. Either way, the mental obstacles and the fear that I once housed had receded, and my chess era was at its peak.
Over the course of the next half year my rating would gradually inch up. I had poor tournaments: my 4/6 performance at the Denker Tournament of High Schools Champions, where I tanked a dozen rating points, was more than lamentable. But I also continued having fantastic tournaments: tying for first in the nine-round Washington International in August yet again reminded me of my strength earlier in the year. Here’s a wildly spectacular game containing a nice queen “sacrifice” from the Washington International.
I was no longer scared of anybody. The imposing figures of Grandmasters — that had once been the cause of meekness and submission — were no longer as threatening. Indeed, I began declining draw offers against Grandmasters with increased frequency. Admittedly, sometimes this decision would lead to my losing the game instead. This, however, is something that I do not regret at all.
And in essence, that is where I stand now. My FIDE rating in November of 2022 had been 2345; now, it is 2431. My USCF rating in November of 2022 had been 2464; now, it is 2550. Both of my ratings grew far beyond that which I thought possible within the span of a year — it was some sort of a “sudden” jump.
I was definitely more mature — smarter, in a sense, as demonstrated from my refined foresight and the shrewdness of my thought processes. I became less timid and less complaisant as I strayed away from dogmatism. I’d changed into a more dynamic player — more audacious, more willing to take risks, and more unpredictable to face. But most importantly, the confidence I had in my ability had increased to a level it had never been to before.
As I’d worked all throughout quarantine to improve my game, the knowledge of the game was definitely there. All I needed was the mental spark to fuel myself forward, to reinstitute the belief that I could do it. Just as a certain amount of activation energy is required to start a reaction in chemistry, just as an object needs to get over a potential barrier to unleash it in a flurry of motion in physics, I needed to reach the top of the hill that had been blocking me. And once I got over the hill… well, it’s been good times since then.
I believe that this is, as Jane Austen would fain to say, a truth that should be universally acknowledged. With the acquisition of knowledge comes the acquisition of potential: our aim, in the end, is to convert it to kinetic energy. When the moment is right, we can meet the activation energy and surmount the potential barrier — only then can the knowledge we gain from studying chess manifest itself in tangible improvement.
Indeed, this newfound realization has manifested itself in the academic world as well, especially in mathematics and physics. I hope my math teachers will not thoroughly chide and admonish me for admitting that I did not study as much for mathematics competitions that I used to. Yet, I performed better than I had in previous years. Of course, a similar story goes for physics. What this implies, however, is that I already had the knowledge of these disciplines bottled up inside of me; all I needed was to open these elusive bottles and let progress flow out in a stream.
And now as I sit here, reading and reflecting on everything I have written thus far, I cannot wait for the season when my flowers will yet again bloom on my journey toward Grandmaster. But more importantly, I earnestly await your progress on your endeavors toward chess virtuosity as well.
Mastering the Moves: Chess Players and their Career Stories
An Interview With FM Christopher Shen
By FM Arthur Xu
Chess is a battle between two players on a board; however, many people do not know that chess is a bridge connecting people across regions, religions, identities, languages, cultures, and ages. Chess is a fantastic way to interact with people and make new friends. I was honored to have an opportunity to interview FM Christopher Shen on January 3rd, 2024. Chris, like many others, grew up with chess friends. Many wonderful people accompanied him on his learning and playing journey. This experience resonates with me. I do not remember when I became aware of Christopher Shen, but I am sure that we met at a chess tournament in the Midwest at least eight years ago. Meeting with and learning from various people through chess is a beautiful, unforgettable journey in a chess player’s life. I am happy to share what Chris thought about the impacts of chess on his career path.
FM Christopher Shen is a sophomore studying statistics and government at Harvard University. He received an IM norm by winning the 2019 Charlotte IM Fall Invitational. His chess achievements include finishing 2nd place in the U18 section at the 2019 Pan American Youth Championship in Guayaquil, Ecuador. In Summer 2019, he won the U.S. Junior Open, through which he earned a qualification for the U.S. Junior Championship in 2020. Over this winter break, Chris has organized a variety of tournaments and chess camps for young players in his Ohio hometown to advance and promote the game to children of all backgrounds.
This interview was conducted in January of 2024. It has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Calculation Skills, Critical Thinking, and Community
In reflecting on the impact of chess on his career trajectory, Chris underscores the invaluable transferrable skills he has acquired and the collaborative growth he has experienced in the chess community. When chess players make a plan in a chess game, they have to weigh various possible moves and calculate to find better or forced moves in a current situation. The analytical and strategic nature of the game has been instrumental in his career path, aligning well with his quantitative orientation.
Critical thinking is another transferable skill he gleaned and harnessed over the chessboard. Chess players keep planning and maneuvering in chess games. They also need to anticipate what their opponents’ next moves would be and form a plan to respond to these possible moves. Constantly planning and strategizing moves in chess games, Chris thinks that chess has improved his critical thinking—a skill set directly applicable to his future career development.
Regarding career development, the second thing he benefited from chess is learning from and growing together with other chess players in the community. Over thirteen years of playing chess, he has met many wonderful people who were his coaches, mentors, and chess friends going down the same track with him. These people have contributed to his growth as a chess player and played a crucial role in shaping who he is. When interacting with coaches, mentors, and peers in chess, we explore who we are and what kind of person we want to become in our future careers. Inspired by those people he met, Chris wants to give back to his community, supporting and encouraging young chess players.
My next interview question regarded memorable people, tournaments, or activities that influenced his career choice or development and if these people he met helped him discover a career path. Chris valued the experience of attending some chess camps, such as the US chess school camps. In those environments, he was around other players at a similar age, loving chess and enjoying learning from one another.
Chris: I remember those camps being so impactful that when I went to high school, I started hosting my own camps. I remember the community that I came from, whether those were really basic chess lessons at my local Chinese school or things like that. I think giving back to your community is really important. Some of the events that kind of occurred during that period not only reminded me of the good experiences that I had but also allowed me to give back and let these kids experience what that was like. So, I think most of the activities that really stick out to my mind are those camps together. While it was about all the things that we learned and all the growth that we did, it was also just being around people who enjoyed playing the game. And that was just a great feeling.
Arthur: Very cool. Yeah, absolutely. So, you’ve organized a lot of events and activities for younger generations to give back to the community. I also saw you are the leader of the chess club at Harvard University. And you’ve raised a great amount of funds and interest. Can you share a little bit of how you did that and your experience?
“While it was about all the things that we learned and all the growth that we did, it was also just being around people who enjoyed playing the game. And that was just a great feeling.”
The chess club is one of the communities Chris looked for and wants to join on campus. Chris and his club members revitalized the chess club by rebuilding the community of chess and fundraising to support local chess activities. So far, they have raised nearly $13,000 for organizing chess tournaments and various events.
Chris: …We found that the organization was in a state of limbo and we wanted to take it out of that state and just improve it and advance it because chess was becoming really popular with the Queen’s Gambit coming out.
So, in terms of coming together, raising money was really one of the most important things we wanted to do. A lot of that came from some very generous sponsors which are great. As chess players we’re very analytical, we like to tackle problems, whether it’s math problems or statistics questions or probability or things like that, it’s very much down our path. So, we’re working currently with a lot of firms, mainly quantitative trading firms. They believe that we are the kind of target audience to join their professional firms.
Besides all of that, the most important thing was just rebuilding this community of chess. Throughout the last year and a half that we’ve been doing this, we’ve been able to do a lot of events, which include tournaments for our members. We’ve done events with the Boston Public School, to help young kids and young children who are interested in the game kind of become more and more excited and learn a little bit more about that.
Decisions, Pressure, and Bouncing Back From Failure
Learning about his involvement in extracurricular activities at Harvard, I noticed that he is in the Air Force ROTC program. I was curious why he chose the program and if being a chess player has prepared him for this program at all. The ROTC program is a pre-military program for college students. The program offers scholarships for financial aid. Students can join the program as an extracurricular activity. Chess has taught him how to make immediate action plans quickly and handle pressure under time constraints, which helped him succeed in his ROTC program.
Chris: …I think there are definitely some things in part of chess that have helped me throughout this process. First of all, a lot of times in a lot of the training scenarios where you’re asked to lead, you’re asked to delegate, you’re asked to, you know, handle your wing in a certain way and achieve a certain mission. You’re often first of all placed under a very strict time constraint. You only have a couple of minutes to figure out exactly what you’re going to do. And I think that really resembles a lot of the blitz chess that we played.
They try to put you under a lot of pressure. The whole point is to see what you do in those scenarios, how you react, and if you can react in a good way. And having played chess for over 13 years, playing blitz, playing bullet, and being under those sorts of time-stress scenarios and time pressure for so long, I think that has allowed me to make the right decisions or make at least a decision in those sorts of scenarios, which has been important.
Arthur: I know some people consider chess like a psychological game, like a mental game, and chess players have to develop a strong mentality, especially after losing or having a bad tournament. How can you bounce back? Have those skills been transferred to your ROTC program, your career, etc.?
Chris: Yeah, yeah, I’ll talk about the ROTC program first. You know, in those scenarios, like whether you’re, you know, asked to do some sort of expeditionary mission or you’re asked to drill around a certain box with only a certain amount of space and to command and lead that correctly. You know, you’re going to make mistakes all the time. And that’s, that’s the whole point. Really. They, want you to make mistakes. You want you to get comfortable making those mistakes. Oftentimes they’ll ask somebody to lead a scenario and you have no idea what the scenario even is. And they’re looking for somebody to put their hand up and put themselves out there. So, you’re expected to fail. I mean if you don’t fail, then you’re in the wrong environment, right?
So, I think being able to bounce back, number one, is really important. You know, not getting flustered, you know, keeping your bearing and making sure that making one wrong decision doesn’t derail your entire mission or your entire project. Another cool thing, you know, part of chess, a lot of it is planning, anticipating your opponent’s reactions. How do you take advantage of that? You’re looking at your opponent’s patterns, whether that’s their opening patterns, their middle game patterns, and things like that. And one of the main things that we do in ROTC is called wargaming. It’s less physical, but it’s completely all mental. …And that really, through chess and through all that planning and through all that experience has been really helpful. I think you can take that out of an ROTC context as well.
“I think it just develops your character in a great way, your mind, your patience, your critical thinking, all of that.”
Last, I asked Chris if he had any suggestions for young chess players.
Chris: Well, first of all, if you’re playing chess and you’re enjoying it, you should continue doing it. It opens a lot of doors for you. I think it just develops your character in a great way, your mind, your patience, your critical thinking, all of that. But the advice I think I would give the kids right now is to slow down actually…I think one of the main things that I think back to when I started playing chess was to slow down and instead of getting to a position and being like, ‘Oh my God, I know instantly the answer.’ Instead, slow down and be critical about what you’re thinking. …I think slowing down is something that I would really emphasize for young players who are getting into the game and are showing a lot of potential because sometimes that can be a real factor in terms of how fast someone can grow and how quickly they can rise.
In wrapping up our conversation, we discussed the significance of young players discovering their true passions and persevering in their pursuits. I agreed with Chris that young chess players need to find what they enjoy and love to do. When young players enjoy winning games over the pleasure of playing chess, it’s beneficial to pause and think about the reason why they started in the first place and where they came from.
Tactical Journey through the 2023 US Masters
Chess is 99% tactics, they say, or is it?
I’m quite confident that if a sample of professional players was surveyed, approximately zero of them would agree with this statement. 99% is simply too high; after all, positional chess does exist.
What is true, however, is that tactical ideas are nevertheless prevalent throughout our games. Of course, the tactics we see in practice are seldom grandiose and magnificent, but instead reveal themselves in small, short lines. Much to the disappointment of our early forefathers, Romantic era style combinations hardly ever manifest themselves.
Instead, being able to effectively calculate these short lines is the cornerstone to success. Even if they do not show up on the chessboard, having control over these lines guides you on your search for the best move by eliminating tactically unsound options. In the contemporary era, and especially at the high level, it may seem that positional chess drives games forward, but tactical options can never be forgotten. Ultimately, small, tactical lines form the structural foundation of the game.
Below, I explore, roughly in chronological order, a few tactically-flavored positions I encountered in the 2023 US Masters, and I attempt to reveal the thought processes going on through my head. As foreshadowed above, most of these are not extravagant, multi-staged combinations, but rather small lines a handful of moves long. These are, to me, the most practical and useful of all.
The first example comes from my first round game against Vikram Rajmohan, in which I was unsuccessful in calculating all the variations.
After probing my way around in a draw rook and bishop ending, I’ve finally achieved a winning position. There are, of course, many waiting moves I can play here, but can you calculate a forced win for me? Against strong players, it is hardly possible to win a game with purely positional techniques.
Here, I have been outplayed; my king is uncastled and all of black’s pieces are active. However, low on time, my opponent blunders a tactic.
Against International Master Justin Wang, I was on the losing side of a nice combination. Although this was not a simple one move combination like the previous one, Justin’s correctly calculated forcing line led to a completely lost position for me. Can you find it?
The following game against Grandmaster Viktor Matviishen is a classic example of calculating short variations — or the failure thereof.
As I hope can be quite clearly seen, none of these tactics were particularly spectacular. They were not ten move combinations with queen sacrifices and brilliant checkmates. They were, however, very useful variations to see when navigating my way through the games.
Even when tactics do not manifest themselves explicitly in games, they are implicitly calculated; without them, we cannot hope to correctly assess the position and evaluate the best move. Ultimately, correctly calculating small, short tactics is the solution for success.
Chess Puzzles from the Chess for Unity 3rd Saturday Tournaments
Editors’ note: We selected interesting puzzles from the games of our 3rd Saturday Tournaments.
We hope that you enjoy solving them!
Puzzle 2 edited by FM Arthur Xu
White to move and win. Activate your pieces!