How it Began

One day, I saw my brother playing a game on his iPad. I wondered what it was and how it worked. My dad told me it was chess and taught me what the pieces are called and how they move. He also enrolled me in a chess class. When I started, I learned many openings and tactics from my amazing chess coach. I also got help from my elder brother, Aariv, who taught me a few moves, and sometimes we play a game together.

What I Learned

I have learned many lessons from chess:

1. The Queen: She is the most powerful piece on the board because she can move in any direction. This helps her capture pieces and create checkmates easily. This shows that just like the Queen, you always have potential inside of you to achieve whatever you want.

2. The Pawns: While they are very small at first, they keep fighting until the end of the board. Then, they can become as powerful and tall as a queen!

3. Touchmove: This is a very important rule. It means that when you touch a piece, you have to move it. It taught me that every action has a consequence, and we always have to be very careful before making our next move.

The Competition

In March, I participated in my first CalChess tournament. There were lots of kids there; some were new like me, and some had been playing for a long time. To get an individual trophy, you needed to win three games. My results were W, L, L, W, L.

I missed the individual trophy by one point, but during the ceremony, I won 2 trophies - one for my school and another one for our club! Overall, this competition was fun and exciting. Even though I didn’t get a trophy for myself, I was happy that I helped my teams win.

When I lost, I learned more ways to checkmate in future games. This competition taught me that every game and every move is an opportunity. Even if you lose one game or face a hard opponent, you should still work hard and keep getting better. Just like the little pawn, I am going to keep fighting until I reach the other side and become the strongest player I can be!