On the surface, chess is a simple board game: 32 playing pieces on a checkerboard, each restricted to a specific series of moves. You can learn the basics in one afternoon. However, as the saying goes, while it only takes a few minutes to learn, chess truly takes a lifetime to master.
Anyone seeking to improve their chess game, read on.
In celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Belmont Celebrates AAPI Heritage is welcoming Jianchao Zhou, China’s 21st chess grandmaster. On Sunday, May 19, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., Zhou will face off against Belmont chess players. The event is organized in partnership with the Belmont High School Chess Club and is open to everyone, with a suggested donation of $15.
There’s a $50 prize dangling for anyone who can play the grandmaster to a draw and $100 if you beat him.
Jerry Chen a Belmont High School 10th grader and member of the school chess club, called the event a “rare experience.”
“There aren’t that many grandmasters,” he said. “In fact, there are more billionaires in the world than [chess] grandmasters. It is a great opportunity for people to play one in real life.”
Ambrose Huang, a member of Belmont AAPI, who calls himself a casual player, said while he “totally expects to be beaten down,” he is looking forward to the experience.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to see what it is like to play someone of his caliber,” he said.
And, state Sen. William Brownsberger is taking part as well.
“I’m not afraid to lose,” he said.
Founding Belmont Celebrates AAPI
Belmont Celebrates AAPI was launched in 2022 in response to a wave of Asian-American hate incidents.
“We started this organization to run events during May to get ourselves seen, raise our voices, and raise awareness of AAPI identities,” said volunteer Ning Ma. “We do not focus on the negative things. We want it to be a positive occasion for community bonding, and consider this as something to enrich the life of the community.”
As part of the May celebration, Belmont AAPI held a road race earlier in the month and welcomed author Grace Lin to discuss her most recent work, “Chinese Menu,” a collection of stories about her favorite Chinese foods.
The Grandmaster
According to his biography on chessjournal.com, Zhou learned to play chess at age 6 and was quick to learn basic chess techniques. At age 17, he was named China’s 21st chess grandmaster after a performance in the 2006 Aeroflot Open. In 2007, he advanced to the Chess World Cup and advanced to the third round. According to Chess Journal, he received a high rating at the event and went on to compete in the World Cup in 2009 and 2015. In 2023, he won the US Chess Grand Prix and many other tournaments in New England.
Lawrence Tu, a Belmont High School ninth grader and chess player, has played Zhou before.
“He taught me a few things, his pattern recognition is really impressive,” he said. “He can see something and know exactly what moves to make. For normal people, there are so many things to consider, but he just knows.”
According to chess-teacher.com, in 2020, there were 1,721 chess grandmasters in the world.
“The journey to becoming a Grandmaster typically spans 8 to 12 years for focused individuals with a clear objective, ample time for chess, and access to resources,” according to the website.
Interested? Learn more and see more upcoming activities at belontcelebratesaapiheritage.org.