Claudia Muñoz

Making her move
Former Wichitan wins gold medal at national youth chess tournament
By Maurel Merette
Friday, February 15, 2008

Claudia Muñoz is turning heads.

The 10-year-old Wichita Falls native recently won a gold medal at the North American Youth Chess Championship in Aguas Calientes, Mexico, where she was undefeated.

Muñoz was born in Wichita Falls and lived here until she was 5, when her family moved to Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. Her father runs a foreign language school there.

But their heart is still in Wichita Falls, said her father, Abed Muñoz Sanchez.

“We never cut ties with Wichita Falls. That’s where my wife and I met and we also have lots of friends in our church that show us their support,” Muñoz Sanchez said.

A member of local Overcoming Word Praise Center, Muñoz Sanchez explained that his youngest daughter’s involvement with chess came by pure happenstance.

“It was purely an accident. I was getting ready to give some classes and I asked her and my older daughter, Faith, if they understood this chess position,” he said.

“She glanced at the board for like three seconds and started staring at the ceiling.”

Surprised by this, Muñoz Sanchez asked his 6-year-old daughter what she was doing.

“She told me ‘I’m thinking’ and then she looked at me and told me the answer,” he said. “I told myself, ‘I guess I need to start coaching her.’ ”

Yet he never pushed either of his daughters to play chess.

“He really never forced me,” said Claudia. “He doesn’t want to be like other fathers that want to live their dreams through their kids.”

Muñoz Sanchez said that he has even tried to quit as his daughter’s coach, demurring that he was just average.

“I’m an average player,” he said. “In a professional tournament I may win as many as I lose.”

But his youngest daughter would not let him quit,

“I tried two years ago to not be her coach and she told me ‘No, you’re staying on,’ ” he said.

He also said his child chess prodigy can quit at any time she wants.

“We go year by year,” he said. “If all of a sudden Claudia says ‘that’s it’, we say OK.”

Claudia has now competed in state, national and invitational competitions.

Her latest victory came at the Susan Polgar National Open, where she won first place undefeated.

Claudia is proud to be an example for others like her.

“I know that I’m being an example for other girls in sports,” said Claudia, who is currently shining in a sport traditionally ruled by men.

She is focused. Aside from her regular studies, she studies chess for almost 15 hours per week.

Here is the full article.