Nov. 14, 2007, 12:24AM
Chess champs’ next move is playing in big event
By PAIGE HEWITT
Houston Chronicle
Celebrated chess player Warren Harper’s signature is “a provocative waiting move.”
He plays gently, deliberately appearing a little vulnerable, and waits.
“I provoke my opponent into playing overly aggressively,” the 16-year-old said, grinning.
His next move: stun the enemy, perhaps launching the attack with his favorite soldier, the knight.
Harper’s strategy has been working remarkably well — in a few days he will be among 10 young Texans headed to Antalya, Turkey, to compete in the world’s most prestigious chess competition for players younger than 18.
The Houstonian’s success has lured attention in the chess world because he has been playing only three years — he taught himself with a “how-to” DVD.
Within months, he was winning most games. Within a year, Harper had become an “expert.” After two years, he was a “master” and two months ago, his title bumped up yet again to “senior master.”
Harper, coached by Russian Sam Palatnik, who lives in Baltimore, will be playing at the World Youth Chess Championship Saturday, Nov. 29. About 2,000 young players are expected at the event.
Twelve Texans qualified for the event; 10 are going, including three from the Houston area. Sisters Evan and Ellen Xiang, 8 and 10 respectively, also are competing. Hannah Liu of Sugar Land was the fourth local qualifier.
Evan is ranked first in the United States in her age group, Ellen is ranked second in hers. Daughters of engineers, the sisters spend an hour daily during the week playing chess, two hours each day on weekends and compete in tournaments.
They are gifted, committed players, said Martha Jenkinson, sponsor of the chess club at Rogers Elementary, where the sisters attend school. Harper coaches chess there.
“These girls work very hard and they have family support,” Jenkinson said.
When Ellen isn’t playing chess, she reads Harry Potter books. And while she’s only been once, Evan likes to fish.
Harper is all about chess.
He said his success has required work but that chess comes a lot easier than baseball, which he played for a few years. He got bored with the sport and went shopping at an electronics store for something new. That’s where he found the chess tutorial.
“I am a lot more confident mentally than I am physically,” said Harper, a senior at the private Tenney School.
Harper was recently named to the 2008 All America Chess Team and received the 2007 Denker Tournament of High School Champion, two of the most prestigious honors a young player can earn.
And two Texas universities (one of it is Texas Tech University) have each offered him a four-year scholarship because of his success.
Source: Houston Chronicle
Good luck Warren and the Xiang sisters.
A number of girls from past Polgar Invitationals will be competing at the World Youth. Off the top of my head, the list includes Alisa Melekhina, Abby Marshall, Yang Dai, Ettie Nikolova, Courtney Jamison, Julia Kerr, and Elena Kats among others. (Apologies for any misspellings of names). I am informed by a reliable source that Abby Marshall will be blogging about the tournament at the uschess.org site.