Year 8 student Vicky Qian has achieved a significant milestone in her chess career, earning the International Chess Federation (FIDE) title of Woman Candidate Master (WCM).
The Woman Candidate Master title is exclusive to female players who have reached a rating of at least 1800 and won at least half of the games played in a continental tournament. Vicky achieved this in May this year, becoming one of only 884 WCMs in the world.
“I never thought I would get a chess title,” Vicky said. “I am grateful for the progress I’ve made. It makes my hard work even more rewarding,” Vicky said of her achievement.
Obtaining a chess title has opened more opportunities for Vicky. She is now privy to tournaments, clubs and communities that are exclusive to titled players.
Vicky appreciates the opportunity to be part of the Meriden Chess Club, where she established herself as the Meriden 01 Board 1 player last year. She enjoys playing in competitions against players from other schools, some of whom are friends she’s met in the chess circuit.
“Chess is a lot of fun, and I enjoy playing with my friends at tournaments – they make the experience more enjoyable for me; and of course, it’s fun to win!”
In particular, she is excited when the Meriden Chess Club establishes and builds a strong team and comes away with outstanding results at competitions. At last year’s IGSA Chess Championship, Meriden had three finalist teams, with the Meriden 01 team emerging as the eventual winners.
For Vicky, the title of Grandmaster hasn’t crossed her mind, but now as a WCM, the title is within sight.
“Achieving the Grandmaster title would take a lot of years of commitment,” she said.
“Right now, I’m focused on enjoying the game and improving as much as I can.”
