Chesscampeona On the Move; Qualifying to the World Youth Chess Championship

A World Youth Chess Championship is one of the most important tournaments a young chess player can ever aspire to attend. On an average 2,500 players from around the world meet each year attempting to become World Youth Chess Champions in their respective age and gender categories. This year the World Youth Chess Championship, or WYCC, will be hosted in Al-Ain in the United Arab Emirates. The United States will be composed of around 60-plus players.

Personally, this will be the second time that I qualify to play in the World Youth Chess Championship as my first WYCC was in Greece in 2010.

So how does one qualify to represent the United States?

We set the goal to actually qualify to the WYCC a year prior to the event. Planning is crucial to chess development. We checked the US Chess Federations website for all the rules and regulations. Here is the link so you can access the same information and get inform so you can qualify as well http://www.uschess.org/content/view/7865/131/.

This year the qualifiers are different. Before, the top 3 rated players in each category and any player within 50 points of the 3rd highest rated qualified. Each year you must check for updates and new rules to qualify. This year, after setting our goal, we checked the requirements. I had already qualified by rating the year prior, but my team and I decided to earn the right on the board to gain preparation for the WYCC.

The USCF posted a list of qualifier tournaments on their website.

My family and I decided to go to the All-Girls Kasparov National Open, which was held in Chicago, Illinois in April. In Chicago, I was the highest rated player in my category and although I went undefeated in this tournament, maintaining the top board was not easy as each player in six rounds fought hard on the board. With a 6-0 performance, my ticket to the World Youth Chess Championship was in the bag. Receiving my 1st place trophy from Former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov was awesome! 

I encourage my scholastic readers to set the World Youth Championship as a goal. It is always an honor to wear the uniform from your country and to represent the red, white, and blue. You should believe in your heart that you have what it takes to make our national team.

In a nutshell, here are the steps you should take to qualifying.

1. Set a goal.

2. Plan.

3. Act.

4. Learn, Enjoy, and have Fun!

In my next article I will share how to train for a WYCC! I hope you learn from my experience and incorporate them to your life! I also hope to qualify with you to the next World Youth Chess Championship in 2014!