My father taught me chess when I was around 7 years old. It was just the basics, but I was instantly hooked. It became my goal to one day beat him in a game, albeit the cheap chess tricks I learned from playing my friends in school weren’t enough. I soon bought a few chess books and practiced nearly everyday until I could put a bit of a fight against my dad. I played games against myself, against friends, and against strangers for a small bet in the public market of the small town where I grew up in, 3 hours south of Manila. My involvements in chess developed further when I discovered the Calgary Junior Chess Club as my family moved to Canada. The city chess club opened up doors to volunteering opportunities as a chess mentor, winning coaching awards, and participating in youth championships (I’m 3rd in the province this year for U18!). It also encouraged me to help found the Western Canada High School Chess Club, which is now the biggest and most active high school chess club in Alberta.
I really believe that playing chess makes you super; the game fosters valuable skills such as discipline, problem solving, and big picture thinking. This (half-improved) video takes a somewhat light approach to the serious, nerdy, and analytical art of chess by revealing the five superpowers every chess player has:
About the video: I took some footage of the 2016 Alberta Youth Chess Championship but unfortunately my phone stopped working and I lost all footage 🙁 Nevertheless, congratulations to all you superheroes who participated in the tournament (plus to everyone who placed first and were granted the power of flight)!