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Thoughts & Stories

Chess journey, student life, and critical thinkings / interesting ideas on anything else — written from the board and the desk.

9 posts

Featured

Chess Strategy

Hastings: A Journey to Fulfill the Grandmaster Dream

From a 2335-rated dark horse in Dubai to the youngest champion in Hastings' century-long history — how five open tournaments across two summers finally made me a Grandmaster.

January 5, 2025·12 min read

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Student Life

My Story with Chess

From a curious six-year-old gazing at chess pieces to standing on the podium at the 2023 FIDE World Youth U16 Olympiad — how chess shaped who I am, and how I found my place at SCIE.

September 18, 2023·8 min read

Chess Strategy

Books vs. Videos — The Advantages of Visual Learning

The last decade has transformed how chess is taught. Video lessons are increasingly recognized not just as a supplement to classic books, but as a superior alternative for advanced players seeking rapid skill elevation.

November 20, 2025·14 min read

Chess StrategyJuly 10, 2026

Why I Love the Sicilian Defense

The Sicilian is more than an opening — it's a philosophy. Black immediately fights for the center asymmetrically, creating the kind of imbalanced positions where creativity beats memorization.

6 min read

Student LifeJune 22, 2026

Balancing Chess and School: What Actually Works

Everyone asks how I manage tournament travel, training, and high school academics at the same time. The honest answer: it's hard, but there are systems that help.

5 min read

US College JourneyMay 15, 2026

Applying to US Colleges as a Chess Grandmaster

The US college application process is unlike anything I'd encountered before — personal essays, SAT scores, extracurriculars, and the strange art of presenting yourself on paper.

8 min read

Chess StrategyApril 3, 2026

Endgame Technique: What Separates GMs from Everyone Else

Most amateur players lose in the endgame not because they don't know the theory, but because they don't know how to think in endgames. Here's what I've learned.

7 min read

Student LifeMarch 18, 2026

From Shenzhen to the World: Growing Up in China's Chess Scene

Shenzhen isn't traditionally known as a chess city, but it's where I learned to play, trained for years, and eventually earned my GM title. Here's what that journey looked like.

5 min read

US College JourneyFebruary 10, 2026

SAT Prep Lessons I Learned from Chess

Preparing for the SAT as a non-native English speaker is daunting. But chess gave me a framework for tackling standardized tests that actually worked.

4 min read