Tuesday, February 27, 2018

The Lost Weekend

Learn to play chess like 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán): born on February 27, 1994 in 兴化 (Xīnghuà), 江苏省 (Jiāngsū province). Chess Grand Master, member of China’s women’s chess team. In 2010 she became the youngest Women’s World Chess Champion ever in chess history. In December 2017 she was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship, the so-called “World Undergraduate Nobel Prize”.

Countless straight-A students help to brighten the image of China’s sports, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s light is particularly radiant. In December 2017, at 23, she was impressively awarded, along with three other straight-A students, the Rhodes Scholarship, one of the most selective in the world, that will open her the gates of the University of Oxford.
Just a year earlier, at only 22, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was crowned for the fourth time Women’s World Chess Champion, thus earning a legendary place in chess history.
Taking into account her dual identity of “Women’s World Chess Champion” + “straight-A student” 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) can say she didn’t waste anyrthing, but she doesn’t like to be called a genius. “It can be inspiring, as a kind of encouragement. It’s just like your name, just a codename for you; maybe the way others call you. As for chess, I think talent is one thing, but ‘genius’ is a little too exaggerated; the most important things are training, opportunities and luck: all these things put together made me who I am today”.

Learn to play chess, enlightened parents won’t regret it

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was born on February 27, 1994 in 兴化 (Xīnghuà), 江苏省 (Jiāngsū province). At the age of 5, when she was playing with her buddies, seeing other children playing Chinese checkers, she immediately asked: “What is this? Teach me to play”. Surprisingly, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) learned quickly, and was soon able to beat the older kids.
“Well, chess was my destiny, but Chinese checkers was there before chess”, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) recalls, remembering how everything started.
Most parents could become concerned about their sons reading or playing chess, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s parents did not worry about that. “Her will was so clear we didn’t have reasons for doubts or regret”.
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), who learned to play chess at 5, won a national youth championship for her age category that same year. After two years, it was hard to find an opponent for her in all 兴化 (Xīnghuà). At 7, after saying goodbye to her first teacher 童渊铭 (Tóng Yuānmíng), she was sent by her parents to the 齐鲁 (Qílǔ) Chess Academy. “At the time, anyway, I felt like an elementary-school student. I tried my best to get out of there, but with not much effect”.
Unexpectedly, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) didn’t need to “turn around”: within just two years, she joined China’s national team, hanging all the way up...
His father admitted: “We would not have been so steady if she, too, had not been so passionate in her love for chess. Since she worked very diligently, and her performances were growing and growing, we kept firmly supporting her”.

Keep studying, to enjoy different landscapes

In order to chase the dream of professional chess, many players give up their studies early, but 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) didn’t want to quit. Although chess took up a larger part of her life space, she always spent much of her rare free time in studying at school. In 2012, at 18, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) attended the Peking University’s Institute of International Relations.
Once admitted to the Peking University, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) split her life between chess around the world and campus. One of the important reasons for choosing a major in International Relations is that “the world is like a giant chessboard, and the complexities of international relations feature many similarities to most chess dynamics”. She hopes that the intersection of two sets of knowledges may light the spark of new ideas.
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), differently from most Chinese sportspeople who entered the university with “Mixed Diplomas” after retirement, has always treated her studies very seriously, even when she was playing chess. She took the chance of combining her travels with the observations of the local customs and cultures, enriching her learning with invaluable practical experiences. So whenever she has to travel anywhere, she documents herself in advance on the historical and social backgrounds of the places, never limiting herself to a smallminded touristic scope.
Unlike other players of her age, she shows a completely different personality from her peers: “The other players substantially abandoned the world outside of chess, but instead I chose to embrace it”. Even when traveling for chess tournaments, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) still keeps studying and learning, from natural sciences to politics and business. For her, chess is a window into the wider world.

(English translation by I, Robot)

The then three-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) talking about “life as a chessboard”, “diplomacy as a chess game”, and “importance of understanding game-thinking” on occasion of President 习近平 (Xí Jìnpíng)’s visit to Peking University on China’s Youth Day on Sunday, May 4, 2014 in 北京 (Běijīng), China. Photo collage: sports.sina.com.cn.

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