These kids are no pawns
Isabelle Ning and Kendrick Zhang have a fair bit in common.
They’re both 11, both started playing chess five years ago, both go to the same school and both are very, very good at chess.
Just don’t call them friends. The rivalry is real, stretching to week-long bouts of teasing at school about bad moves.
The pair were in Palmerston North the past week to compete in events held around the national chess congress.
While they both competed in the junior championship – they shared the under-12 title – they also stuck around for the national open.
Some of their competitors in the open were older than 80.
Isabelle and Kendrick gave Stuff a demonstration of blitz chess on Saturday before the real games started.
While chess may have a reputation of players taking aeons to come up with moves, blitz gives each player 3 minutes to complete all their moves, getting an extra 2 seconds per move. Their demeanour throughout was chalk and cheese; Isabelle was still and calm, while Kendrick fidgeted.
The contrasting styles seemed to work, with a draw called after they won a game each, which neither player was happy about.
The differences carried on to their discussion of favourite players.
Isabelle said she liked Mikhail Tal, a Latvian grandmaster who earned the nickname ‘The Magician from Riga’ for his aggressive, intuitive and unpredictable style.
‘‘He always just seems to ‘boof’, get something out of nowhere.
‘‘I like his attacking style. That’s what I sort of want to do, but sometimesmy opponents attack before me,’’ Isabelle said.
Kendrick’s favourite? ‘‘Me.’’ Second favourite? ‘‘My dad.’’
The Auckland pair did agree on how to get good at chess: study the greats and play every day.
Isabelle expects chess to become a hobby later on in life but Kendrick wants to eventually be world champion.