At the top of his game

Success in any sport requires dedication, passion, and a drive to improve, and chess is no exception.

SHANNON KING Digital Marketing and Communications Officer Meet Terrence Tang; St Peters’ strongest Chess player and winner of the Gold Coast Junior Chess Championships and the U18 Division of the prestigious Queensland Junior Chess Championships in 2022. When Year 12 student, Terrence, came to St Peters in 2019, he surprised everyone at his first Chess training session by defeating the Opens players with ease, losing only to the coach. By the start of the AIC Chess season, Terrence had become a pivotal member of the Opens Chess Team, in which he remained undefeated, helping the team to a premiership win. Terrence’s winning streak continued throughout his time at St Peters, with an astounding near-perfect record of 63 wins and one draw in his AIC games along with Opens Premiership wins in 2020 and 2022. Mathematics Teacher and Chess Coordinator, Wolf Stuetzel, has watched Terrence grow and develop as a Chess player during his time at St Peters and describes the quiet and unassuming student as an ‘irreplaceable pillar’ of St Peters Chess who can be relied upon to win his games every time. “He is a gifted, attacking Chess player who, in AIC, is second to none in strategy and calculation,” Mr Stuetzel said. “His positional analysis is so quick and thorough that he can defeat almost any St Peters player or coach, even when playing with significantly less time.” Terrence has been playing Chess since the age of five, which is impressive given most five-year-olds are content creating messy art or building block forts. His kindergarten teacher asked every child to choose a hobby and Terrence chose Chess for no other reason than there happened to be a Chess board at the kindy at the time. In the early years, he had a coach to help improve his play, but these days Terrence mostly practises online, playing virtual games against other players on chess.com. When asked what sets Terrence apart from other young chess players, Mr Stuetzel points to his commitment and dedication to the game as well as his passion for Chess and determination to build on his skills. “He is constantly practising, playing online and competing in tournaments,” he said. “And, he’s always looking to play stronger and better opponents to improve.” In the lead-up to a tournament, Terrence prepares by practising three to four days a week and studying his opponents’ previous games online. “If you look at their moves you can see if they are a defensive player or like to attack. Some players are really aggressive,” Terrence explained. “I just use my head to think and analyse, again and again.” Chess may not be physically demanding in the same way as other sports, but games can last several hours and require intense concentration and mental agility as players must be able to calculate several moves in advance. Terrence can plan an impressive eight to ten moves ahead—a skill that has clearly given him a competitive edge. Last month, Terrence travelled to Bali for the Asian Youth Chess Championships and finished 19th in the U18 Division, which he felt was a solid result. “I’m happy about it,” he said. “It was my first international tournament, and it was great to compete against professional players and get to know where I need to improve.” With the Gold Coast and Queensland Junior Championships under his belt, Terrence is now setting his sights on achieving a Master title in the next few years—a goal that Mr Stuetzel believes is within reach. “Terrence, without a doubt, has the mindset and skills to compete at a national, if not international level,” he said.

These skills will be put to the test in January 2023 when Terrence competes in the Australian Open Chess Championships in Perth, followed by the Oceania Zonal in Melbourne. Despite all the hard work, he insists that chess is fun and a great way to make friends across different grades. He also enjoys the progress that can be made through regular practice. “Terrence is a role model for St Peters students, as he demonstrates that commitment to improvement is key to becoming successful,” said Mr Stuetzel. “His demeanour at extremely stressful Chess matches is one of calmness and respect for his opponents and the rules and values that govern competition. This sets a standard to which all sporting representatives at St Peters should aspire to achieve.” Thank you, Terrence, for your dedication and contribution to St Peters Chess. We wish you all the best for your future tournaments and look forward to watching you achieve your goals.

Pictured: Terrence with his most recent Gold Coast Junior Championship and Queensland Junior Championship trophies; being supported by the St Peters Spirit crew at the Chess Focus Round in July.