Panthers of ISKL #331: The IASAS Chess Players
ISKL’s team members’ Panther spirit is evident from the starting point, where they prepare themselves for the competition by training four times a week to refine their plays, build team cohesion, and sustain mental endurance.
Team Leader Amirthen S. (‘28), who is also a National Chess Player and team member, and Chenyu (Mandy) Z. (‘28), both High School students, talk to us about their preparation and experience of this year’s IASAS Chess Tournament and what advice they would offer to future generations of ISKL chess players.
Here are their stories:
Words by Amirthen S. (‘28), Chess Team Leader
Tell us more about some of the preparations you did to participate in the IASAS Chess Tournament.
Preparing for this year's IASAS was more towards preventing myself from repeating my past mistakes from last year's competition. The previous competition was nerve-wracking for me as I would always end up running low on time, so even if I'm winning in the game, my time might run out. To overcome this, I mainly focused on Blitz games for an entire year, raising my elo by 200 points online. And that's how, during this year's competition, I didn't run through the same challenge. Overall, I would say it was worth the year of preparation.
Tell us what you gained through your experience at the IASAS Chess Tournament and how it impacted your team.
Leading the team, overseeing the selection process, and sharing some of my technical knowledge did make me grow as a coach and mentor. I progressively saw myself improving as a person when I prepared a lesson plan with my other chess club execs, or when I gathered the chess team for an important chess lesson.
What advice would you give other students who wish to participate in the IASAS Chess Tournament in future years?
Join the Chess Club. I'm always analyzing and giving my inputs to members there, so it's a real game-changer. Other than that, focus more on puzzles and tactics rather than your elo, because your elo is a reflection of your tactical skills, so sharpen that first. Finally, no matter what level you think you are in, just join the tryouts and see where you're at. Good luck to the future chess players trying out for IASAS chess, make ISKL proud.
Words by Chenyu (Mandy) Z. (‘28)
Describe your feelings leading up to the IASAS Chess Tournament.
I was shaking. Literally. Keats and Clara were great at trying to calm my nerves, but I was already worried about everything. There is a psychology model that advocates an optimal level of arousal, meaning a certain level of stress and adrenaline actually aids your performance. I was trying to tap into that ideal level (keyword: trying). Mr. Huang was very supportive, buying us stuff, and I love my teammates, but I got hyper-focused on my emotions. I think this goes for any IASAS sport. IASAS functions as a team. I wish I had zoomed out a little and seen it from a safety net perspective: even if I fall, there will be people to catch me. Catching does not always mean winning. Sometimes, catching each other looks like being positive and reassuring, even after a loss.
As a member of the IASAS Chess team, what were you most proud of?
I am most proud of my team. Obviously. Even though we didn't perform as well as I'd hoped in the tournament, no one was raging. Well, maybe me a bit. But I liked how everyone was still smiling, how we still had appetites for shawarmas in addition to appetites for growth. And it was the culmination of the gradual improvement I've been observing in all members of the IASAS Chess team, in their ability to handle challenging positions and their humility while handling losses and potential wins. So, I'm proud of them, and I'm also grateful to Amir for stepping up as a disciplined leader ready to absorb everyone's discomfort and frustration and transmute it into motivation. I'm also proud of our persistence. We are dedicated to working harder and more intentionally now.
What advice would you give other students who wish to participate in the IASAS Chess Tournament in future years?
First of all, please, if you are interested, do not hesitate. I have friends who play chess but aren't in the chess club. The earlier you're with us, the better. Some people may believe that chess is fully competitive, and hope that their opponent will faint at the board. I've played since 2nd grade, and from what I've witnessed and experienced, my advice is to treat everyone like equals in both playing level and humanity level.
Do you know of any student, teacher, parent, or staff member who always has an anecdote to tell, loves to share some insights into their passions and interests, or simply is a Panther through and through? Nominate them to be featured in our Panthers of ISKL stories by sending in your submissions here