Every move risks disaster.
For future sophomore Arjun Krishnamoorthi, chess is more
than just a game. It’s an identity.
When he was young, Krishnamoorthi recalls himself looking
over the shoulders of his father and brother, and onto a chessboard. The room
was silent while focused thoughts and strategies emanated from the participant’s
minds and down to their fingers, moving the pieces. Their eyes and
expressionless faces were locked on the board, while each of the pieces faced
the opposite side with defiance, undaunted by the challenge the adversaries would bring forth. The scenes were intense, and young Arjun couldn’t help but
feel intrigued.
Years slide away, and Krishnamoorthi eventually finds that he too has been sucked into a fascination with chess. He also discovers that he can not only keep up with his more experienced family members, but can beat them with relative ease. At Manhattan High School, he is considered one of the brightest chess minds, and even considered co-founding a chess club there as well. It's the overall competitiveness and the way the mind is challenged that are two of the many reasons he enjoys playing the game. Chess, he says, involves each individual to explore the depths of their minds. It's "brain games" like this that he thinks are useful not only as a past time, but also beneficial in rational decision making.
Krishnamoorthi played his first serious game of chess in 6th grade. He was challenged by his friend to compete on Gameknot.com, a free online multiplayer chess website, and played under the username "thepoodoo". At the time, he claimed that he was oblivious to chess strategy and as a result he often found himself on the losing side of most matches. In his first games, his opponents were even able to checkmate him is less than four moves. It was only in 8th grade that Arjun truly took a major step forward in his understanding of chess.
"I had improved as a result of, to put it simply, just playing more and more," said Krishnamoorthi. "As I continued to play more often, I was able to acquire new 'improvements' to my chess ability."
Krishnamoorthi also credits the study of moves by chess grand masters, especially their openings, as a key to his success. By doing this, he not only incorporated already famous techniques into his playing style, but found that they were also very influential in creating his own new strategies. He feels creativity in chess is vital to consistent victories, claiming a creative player will always defeat the "book-oriented" player.
"When I first played him he made foolish mistakes and was easy to beat," said sophomore Joshua Schwartz. "Then he started studying chess strategies and tactics and employed them effectively, making me unable to beat him."
Despite playing computer chess in the past, Krishnamoorthi has found that he has grown to dislike a method of online chess called correspondence chess. He believes this version of chess is less credible due to the fact that users can use analysis boards, which they can use to preplanned moves. The methods of using on the spot logic, continuous thinking, and quick decisions are eliminated this way. He also complains that the fact that players can wait several days before making a move is "unbearable." The environment is different too, since physical pieces play a major part in the game.
"Before I played Arjun in chess, I felt a bit nervous because I thought that he was a master player and I did not want to be badly beaten," said 8th grader Rick Brown. "[But] it was interesting, fun and exciting to play him in chess."
Would Krishnamoorthi ever consider becoming a grandmaster? He gives it zero thought, humbly under the belief that he possesses no grandmaster traits. While pursuing the game at a professional level may be out of reach, Krishnamoorthi does not regret playing the game. It has shaped him in a positive way, enhancing his identity mentally, rationally, and competitively.
"One goal that I can say I have is to keep chess as a hobby," said Krishnamoorthi. "It is an activity that I strive to get better at continuously, and it is one that I wish to stay interested in forever."
http://www.chess.com/learn-how-to-play-chess (How to play chess)
http://www.usefulchess.com/tactics/gambits.htm (Chess gambits/openings)
(Currently waiting on responses from sources....)
Years slide away, and Krishnamoorthi eventually finds that he too has been sucked into a fascination with chess. He also discovers that he can not only keep up with his more experienced family members, but can beat them with relative ease. At Manhattan High School, he is considered one of the brightest chess minds, and even considered co-founding a chess club there as well. It's the overall competitiveness and the way the mind is challenged that are two of the many reasons he enjoys playing the game. Chess, he says, involves each individual to explore the depths of their minds. It's "brain games" like this that he thinks are useful not only as a past time, but also beneficial in rational decision making.
Krishnamoorthi played his first serious game of chess in 6th grade. He was challenged by his friend to compete on Gameknot.com, a free online multiplayer chess website, and played under the username "thepoodoo". At the time, he claimed that he was oblivious to chess strategy and as a result he often found himself on the losing side of most matches. In his first games, his opponents were even able to checkmate him is less than four moves. It was only in 8th grade that Arjun truly took a major step forward in his understanding of chess.
"I had improved as a result of, to put it simply, just playing more and more," said Krishnamoorthi. "As I continued to play more often, I was able to acquire new 'improvements' to my chess ability."
Krishnamoorthi also credits the study of moves by chess grand masters, especially their openings, as a key to his success. By doing this, he not only incorporated already famous techniques into his playing style, but found that they were also very influential in creating his own new strategies. He feels creativity in chess is vital to consistent victories, claiming a creative player will always defeat the "book-oriented" player.
"When I first played him he made foolish mistakes and was easy to beat," said sophomore Joshua Schwartz. "Then he started studying chess strategies and tactics and employed them effectively, making me unable to beat him."
Despite playing computer chess in the past, Krishnamoorthi has found that he has grown to dislike a method of online chess called correspondence chess. He believes this version of chess is less credible due to the fact that users can use analysis boards, which they can use to preplanned moves. The methods of using on the spot logic, continuous thinking, and quick decisions are eliminated this way. He also complains that the fact that players can wait several days before making a move is "unbearable." The environment is different too, since physical pieces play a major part in the game.
"Before I played Arjun in chess, I felt a bit nervous because I thought that he was a master player and I did not want to be badly beaten," said 8th grader Rick Brown. "[But] it was interesting, fun and exciting to play him in chess."
Would Krishnamoorthi ever consider becoming a grandmaster? He gives it zero thought, humbly under the belief that he possesses no grandmaster traits. While pursuing the game at a professional level may be out of reach, Krishnamoorthi does not regret playing the game. It has shaped him in a positive way, enhancing his identity mentally, rationally, and competitively.
"One goal that I can say I have is to keep chess as a hobby," said Krishnamoorthi. "It is an activity that I strive to get better at continuously, and it is one that I wish to stay interested in forever."
http://www.chess.com/learn-how-to-play-chess (How to play chess)
http://www.usefulchess.com/tactics/gambits.htm (Chess gambits/openings)
(Currently waiting on responses from sources....)
