My Journey - WGM Jennifer Yu: Event Recap
20 year-old Women Grandmaster Jennifer Yu reached the hearts of 220 young chess players through Impact Chess’s first webinar, “My Journey.” The webinar took place over zoom on August 1st and lasted for an hour from 8:00 p.m. EDT to 9:00 p.m. EDT. The goal of the event was to inspire young students and provide a community for them to start or continue their chess journeys. Attendees zoomed in from 28 states in the US and Canada to hear Jennifer share her experiences and advice for rising chess players.
Jennifer presented on her journey from her first tournament at the age of 7 to becoming a Women Grandmaster. She talked about missing school, the effects of confidence on her performance, and the solace she found in the people she met through chess, all while sharing her chess milestones. Unsuccessful tournaments and unsatisfactory games led to highlights like winning the World Youth, getting her first IM norm, playing in the US Olympiad and winning the US Women’s Championship which were all crucial to shaping her chess career. Jennifer also shared choices she made to keep improving in chess while still maintaining a balance with her life at Harvard University.
In the Q&A portion of the webinar, kids in the audience and in the chat overflowed with questions for Jennifer. She addressed topics such as managing schoolwork during chess tournaments, the best advice she’s received, her favorite parts of chess, dealing with pressure and loss of motivation, imposter syndrome, and making connections through chess.
The webinar successfully outreached to hundreds of kids across the country and was a free and accessible way for people to improve their chess abilities and gain insight into a current chess star. Young chess players who view Jennifer’s accomplishments as an inspiration were able to interact with her by unmuting and asking their questions. Thank you so much to Jennifer, who is one of Impact Chess’s advisors, for sharing her journey at this webinar!
The recording of the webinar with part of the Q&A can be watched here on Impact Chess’s youtube channel.
