By Benjamin Reflecting upon the past year of playing chess, I would consider it a major success — I got to master, made new friends, and had fun. However, studying ferociously and traveling for tournaments has forced me to step away from many other activities I enjoy. Instead of beating my head against the wall […]
By Benjamin If you have been following my chess journey so far this gap year, you know that after a ton of hard work, I left off just short of National Master, the 2200 rating barrier. Now, I’m here to present some exciting news. I made it. After hitting 2198, it wasn’t just a cakewalk […]
By Benjamin One of my longtime goals was to become a national master in chess, a game I’ve been playing since I was nine. In chess, an elo rating system is used to standardize each player’s approximate strength. In the US, to get to National Master, a title only the top 1% of players obtain, […]
By Benjamin As I have come to realize, being on a gap year is much more difficult than I thought it would be. For starters, you’re basically on your own, navigating a life without the rigid structure of high school and dipping your toes in everything. That’s why it’s so important to stay disciplined, striving […]
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