8-Year-Old ChessKid Plays In A World Championship!

One of the most active members on ChessKid, Noah Rose from Australia (EmmanuelNoahR), recently played in the Under-8 Division of the 2019 FIDE World Cadets Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships held in Minsk, Belarus. We asked Noah a few questions about what it was like playing in a world championship tournament.

Noah Rose, representing his country Australia. Photo courtesy the Rose family.

How did you prepare leading up to the World Cadets?

I prepared by playing ChessKid, getting coached by Shaun and Brandon and also playing chess.com.

(Australian Coach Shaun Curtis and IM Brandon Jacobson from the U.S.)

What was it like playing in an international tournament?

It was fun. There were a lot of hard players from around the world. It felt good to represent my country.

A view of the playing hall in Belarus. Photo courtesy the Rose family.

What was the best part of the tournament?

The best part was winning some games against higher rated players.

[Ed note: Check out this game of his with the cool move 23. Nxd5! with a discovered attack on the rook on c7 and the threat of a fork on f6!]

Did you learn anything from this experience?

I learned that there are a lot of hard players in the world that are Under 8.

What would you say to other ChessKids who are thinking about applying to represent their country at an international tournament?

Practice a lot, do lots of puzzles and try to get your ChessKid rating over 1200. Then I would say yes apply -- but remember play with honesty!