Featured Player – Andrew R.

Our next featured player is 7th grader Andrew R.
When did you start playing Chess? Why?
I started playing chess in 3rd grade when I heard that some of my friends were in the school chess club and they said that it was really fun. Since I thought that at least I’d be spending time with my friends in the club and that it was supposed to be fun I thought why not check it out. At this time I only barely knew how the pieces moved so I thought it would be good for me to learn strategies for chess.
How old were you when you first beat your parent?
I was 9 years old when I first was able to beat my dad.
What is your most memorable game?
My most memorable game was when I was 11 in 6th grade at the state championship, and I lost to the player that ended up winning my section. I remember this game very well because I was put onto the top board in my section where in a special room they would be analyzing the position. Even though I lost this game I learned a lot of things from this game, this is because after I was actually winning I started to play to defensively and passively allowing him to increase his pressure on my. After I made some very questionable moves I was deffenitely lost. But overall I think that it helped my to become a better player.
What is your favorite piece? Why?
My favorite piece is the bishop. I think that the bishop is a very unique piece because it has the power to cut the board in two when it is on a long diagonal. I think that the bishop can very easily persuade your opponent to move to specific squares that you may want them to go to. Overall I think that the bishop is definitely a game changer.
Is your favorite part of the game opening, middle game, or endgame?
My favorite part of the chess game is the middle game. I like the middle game the most because of how creative you can be in this part. You can use tactical ideas, create or threaten a big attack, or even counter attack after defending a big attack. However in the opening I can feel sometimes restricted because there seems to be specific rules that you have to following in order to get into the middle game. And in the endgame you can’t use too much creativity because in the endgame every move can be extremely crucial and if you waste too much time then you usually end up losing.
What is your favorite chess opening?
My favorite chess opening is the Queens gambit. I didn’t start playing this until I got more advanced but I very much enjoy it. This is because if your opponent accepts the pawn then you will most certainly get a good position. And if they don’t accept it there are many tricky tactical ideas that you can use to threaten check mate on your opponent.
Are you more of an aggressive or defensive chess player? Explain.
I would consider myself a more aggressive player even though, I do play the kings Indian sometimes as black which is usually considered to be a defensive opening. But when I am white and I play the queens gambit I usually try to attack my opponent as easily as I can.
What is your favorite chess memory?
My favorite chess memory is probably when I placed 6th in the state tournament and I got called up to the podium to claim my trophy .
What is your goal for your chess in the next year or two years?
My goal is to increase my rating close to 1500 uscf.
What is your favorite chess book?
My favorite chess book is The Complete Book of Chess Strategy by Jeremy Silman.
How do you think chess most helps you in day to day life?
I think chess helps me most in my everyday life because it makes me think more about cause and effect. For example if I make a certain move in a chess game I have to think about what will happen next, I have to think about what my opponent will do next. Chess in my everyday life also helps me plan for the future which could be as short as ten minutes, this is because in chess I have to plan what my strategy is in a game I I have to plan what moves I will do to follow up on my strategy.
What do you enjoy besides chess?
I enjoy doing math, and I think that playing chess has helped me to appreciate math a little more and help me improve in math. I also very much like to play sports, really any kind of sport but in particular tennis since I play that competitively now.