The Memory Tree

Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) gave a lecture to a large audience of students of the 天一 (Tiānyī) High School concurrently with the opening ceremony of China’s Chess Stars Mixed Pair Tournament “天一 (Tiānyī) High School Cup” held in 无锡 (Wúxī), China on May 26, 2017. The theme of the debate was her individual “growth” experience, not always distributed equally between chess and university studies. A résumé of her intervention was eventually filmed, but don’t expect secrets to be kept. The first and most important rule of success lies — according to her — in good time management, because “we all know that you can’t have your cake and eat it, so it’s all a matter of priorities”. And since each’s priorities are personal and subjective, in the end, it’s all a question of choices. That’s means, in chess terms, that sooner or later you will have to ask yourself: “Do you want to be a professional or don’t you?”. Finally, she remarked how important it is to accept your defeats in order to learn from your mistakes and adjust your own mentality. She recalled her participation in the 24th World Girls U-20 Championship at Yerevan, Armenia in 2006, when an unlucky defeat (she probably meant her game with Salome Melia), costed her first place in the Championship — which was won by her fellow countrygirl 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng). No doubt, an “elephant’s memory” appears to be the mysterious unsaid secret of success (but not necessarily of happiness). Photos: Chinese Chess Association.