Chess taught UConn guard Christian Vital how to slow down
STORRS – If it’s appeared at times over the past few games that everyone else is playing checkers while Christian Vital is playing chess, there’s good reason. Besides his basketball skills, Vital is also a terrific chess player.
In fact, his experience on the chessboard helps him on the hardwood, where the UConn freshman has scored 31 points over the past two games, earning him American Athletic Conference rookie of the week honors.
“It kind of slows (the game) down, because in chess you do need to take your time,” Vital said. “I am a fast-paced player, getting up and down, so it kind of takes me away and just slows me down, settles me down.”
Vital has been playing chess since he was about 5 years old and has competed in numerous tournaments around New York City, including one in Central Park when he was about 10.
“The daycare that I was in, it was around and it kind of just clicked with me,” Vital said of his introduction to chess. “Anytime I got a new phone, I’d buy the (chess) app. And I had a chessboard at home and I’d play with my family, force them to play with me. I just kept getting better, and it was fun.”
While a student at The Rectory School in Pomfret four years ago, Vital won the chess tournament for the entire school. Jere Quinn, Vital’s coach for his final two years of prep school at St. Thomas More, said Vital was in the school’s chess club, as well.
“I heard he was good, but Christian says he’s good at everything,” Quinn quipped. “And I’ve seen him dance, and I know he can’t dance a lick, so you can’t believe everything he says.”
And Vital says a lot. He’s already a media darling a little more than halfway through his freshman season, even if he’s the only healthy scholarship player not currently in the Huskies’ starting lineup.
“He’s in the people business,” said Quinn.
That doesn’t mean Vital hasn’t contributed, however – particularly lately. In a win at South Florida last week, Vital notched a career-best 17 points and five steals, then backed that up with an even better all-around game against Tulane. The 6-foot-2 guard posted a double-double, with 14 points and 10 rebounds, to go with five assists and no turnovers in UConn’s win over the Green Wave on Saturday night.
“I like the other things – the 10 rebounds, the five assists and no turnovers, the five steals at USF,” UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. “Everybody else can keep the points, but those are the things that are gonna sustain us as a group. I’m very proud of him. He’s just getting better and better. He’s getting some valuable minutes, and he’s taking advantage of them. And that’s what you have to do as a freshman.”
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Unproven and ridiculous asumption.