Junior chess champion and Sixth Form student of Queens College, Haifeng Su has thanked not luck but his mental determination and strong focus for his victories.
In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, 16-year-old Su said he came to Guyana from China with his family when he was just six years old.
In Guyana, he developed a liking for the game of chess by watching other people play the game, especially his close colleagues.
“A friend, Rishad Hussein, who is very good at chess, got me into the game. I always had a liking for the game but never thought of playing competitively. However, I was encouraged to do so after playing against friends. I took up the challenge. I went to my first tournament and got second, and this built my motivation to go further. After this, I started playing for the Guyana Chess Federation and was sent to regional tournaments to represent Guyana,” he disclosed.
Su stated that he started playing competitively in the year 2010. The competitive chess player left Guyana to compete in Barbados and Suriname where, although he did not gain first place, he was among the best under-20 players.
With an oversized chess board during one of his regional tournaments
The young champion has to juggle preparations for his CAPE examinations and his game, and he thinks he is doing an excellent job.
“My parents are very supportive, which makes it easier. Playing chess doesn’t affect my studies, it actually helps with concentration and being calculative. It’s 90 per cent tactics because you have to know combinations and strategies and analyse the board. It’s like a situation you have to find the best way out of. I also practice a lot to perfect my game.”
The strategic player said he had a trainer who migrated, and since then he has never had another one to assist him. However, he is not discouraged by this and would continue to practice and do research on how international champions were able to perfect their game.
“I play with friends, all the while using it to develop myself in the game. Sometimes I lose some and win some but it teaches me strategy. I’m going to pursue and go far with chess.” Su accepts that there will be feelings of defeat because there are better players out there, but he is diligently developing in his game and will do his best.
“There are some very good chess players in Guyana. I am currently playing with them in tournaments and most of them are my friends. They are competitive and it helps me because we learn from each other. I was in a bit of shock when I won the junior nationals, however it wasn’t luck but my mental determination I would win it. I invested all my energy and mental capacity and I was victorious.”
The vibrant lad said he balances his time and seeks out other interests such as playing pools and dancing, which help in relieving stress. Su hopes that after he sits his CAPE examinations, he would invest more time in chess and keep on representing Guyana. (Taken from Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)
