I did not want to learn a simple board game, but then it became my life purpose
Living in sunny Kingston, Jamaica, when I was 9 years old I spent my spare time playing video games indoors. In two years I was supposed to take a nationwide test to determine my future high school. A lot of pressure for a girl who just wanted to beat the Elite Four in Pokémon Emerald.
My parents were aware of this fact, and a new chess program was being introduced to my elementary school. They signed me up thinking it would help me ace the test.
“But chess is a game for nerds, and I don’t want to be seen as a nerd.”
”You should try it.”
”Can I go back to Pokémon?”
The night before my dad taught me how all the pieces moved. He beat me in every game we played, but I was having fun.
I then went to chess club every week, and I even entered a tennis and chess camp in the summer. I preferred staying in the air conditioning indoors, so I gave up the tennis part completely. (Also, I might have just liked chess more by a little bit..)
A hobby turned into trophies
After playing chess for an entire summer, my coach, Adrian Palmer, came up to my parents and said that I was good enough to start playing in tournaments.
I said “no”.
I was scared, I wanted to treat chess as a hobby and not something competitive. But my parents saw it a different way - why not take the leap? They pushed me through that temporary discomfort, and I genuinely got hooked on playing competitively.
I remembered losing to a fancy version of a four move checkmate at my first tournament. But after playing tournament to tournament, a couple months later I came 2nd place in the Under 10 Boys & Girls Section at Nationals and 1st place in the Girls Only Section. I only learnt how to move the pieces 8 months ago, but I was the National Under 10 Girls Champion. I was also the 2nd best player in my age range in the country.
I learnt that sometimes trying new paths can lead to unexpected destinations.
Travelling the World For Being a Nerd
Trinidad and Tobago: My first regional tournament
When I was 11, I became the best Under 12 player in Jamaica (overall and for girls). Afterwards I started being coached by FM Warren Elliott, an 8 time National Champion, and my coach for several years.
Warren wanted to bring a national team out to the CARIFTA games, a popular tournament where countries such as Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana and Suriname battle together in several sports. The chess version of the event was in Trinidad and Tobago. I was the only girl in the Under 12 Boys & Girls Section, but I came 2nd. Looking back, it was one of the most fun tournaments in my life (I even got to eat doubles for the first time! I think I’m going to order some on Uber Eats now as I write this…)
Peru: An Opportunity to play the best kids my age in the Western Hemisphere
After my experience in Trinidad and Tobago, I went to play at Pan-American Youth Festival in Lima, Peru. This tournament helps decide the top players per age range in the Western Hemisphere. Back then, I was super nervous as it was my first time playing anyone outside of the Caribbean. I did not feel qualified to play, and I did not want to go. My parents believed in me, and they helped me get over the hurdle.
This one experience was a huge stepping stone not only for myself but for my country. I went with my dad, Warren, and one other teammate named Elias Issa. He played in the Under 12 boys while I played in the Under 12 girls. We were the first Jamaicans at the event in years.
I got 4.5/9 points and came 40th, but the friendships I made at that tournament were amazing. It was my first introduction to the international chess world.
My first round opponent and I throughout the years. She is from Bolivia and I call her “hermana” whenever I see her.
Little did I know at the time, but 11 years later I would be coaching one of my students at that same event. I post this picture EVERYWHERE. She did even better than me on my first try. If she had won her last round, she would have gotten an international title, and I wasn’t even close to getting one in the tournament. She ended up coming 11th place. She likes to rub it in my face sometimes.
Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Norway, & Greece: Winning Titles & Earning Milestones
After lots of practice, over the years I became stronger until I accomplished a lot of goals in my career:
Won my first international title (Woman Candidate Master) at age 12 in Puerto Rico
Became a Woman FIDE Master in El Salvador at age 14
Qualified for the Jamaican Women's Olympic Team and played in Norway at age 14
Became a Candidate Master in 2015 in Trinidad and Tobago
Played in Greece at the World Youth Chess Championships at age 15
Became the youngest National Woman Champion in Jamaican History at age 14
Seeking a White Coat in the Great White North
In late 2014 my mom got a promotion at work and I ended up moving to Ottawa, Canada. The culture shock was hard, but overtime I made many friends at my new high school.
Moving was great for my chess. I practiced weekly at the RA Chess Club and even found a fellow competitive chess player at my highschool. She played on the Olympic Chess team for Canada and was the Under 14 Girls World Champion. She is now a Woman Grandmaster, and we made the first ever chess club at our school. The club was my first experience in teaching chess.
My rating was going up and I played at another Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan. In my senior year of highschool I decided I wanted to spend my future career helping people and I thought becoming a doctor was the best way how. So I stopped playing chess for a bit to focus on my studies.
But then came…
The Wave
When I was accepted into Queen’s University for a pre-medical degree I started playing again. However no matter what I tried I was not improving in my results. I played in several tournaments to become a Woman International Master, but I always missed the title by one or two wins. It was frustrating, and this pattern was in my play for 4 years.
Although I had a new coach at this point, Warren taught me to not give up. I failed about 14 times, and I cried even more, but each failure was an opportunity to get back up and improve.
Side note: At some point during this time I went to my last Panamerican Youth Festival in Santiago, Chile. At my first one it was just me and Elias, look at how many Jamaicans came out only 6 years later!
Another side note: During this time I also made a nonprofit organization at my university where I lead a 13 member executive team and 21 volunteers to teach chess at a hospital. My second experience in chess teaching, and this little project will always be my baby.
While researching study tips for the MCAT, I invented a chess training method that improved my results.
In 2019 I was in my third year of university. By then, pre-medical students take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) to get into medical school. While researching tips for the exam, I came across an article on efficient studying strategies that helped a current doctor score in the top 1%. I thought about applying those same strategies into chess, and I ended up creating a method that let me beat a 2240 FIDE rated player in two months.
Later that year I flew back to Trinidad and Tobago, the place of my first international tournament. With my newfound method, I finally became a Woman International Master by winning the Caribbean and Central American Under 20 Female Championships. I also almost became a FIDE Master at the same time.
As this accomplishment took a lot of patience, perseverance, and sacrifice, in 2020 I ended up winning the Prime Minister’s National Youth Award for Excellence - the highest award given to Jamaicans ages 15 to 29. I won it in the Sports Category for chess. It was previously won by Usain Bolt in the past. Warren was my nominator.
A Newfound Passion - Coaching Others
Jamaica doesn’t have any Woman Grandmasters due to a lack of resources, and I want to become the first to show the nation that our people can do anything we put our mind to. So after graduating university at age 21, I took a break from pursing a medical degree and I moved to New York City to become a Woman Grandmaster. While studying, I worked as a chess coach in several elementary schools. Time flew by while I was working with kids, it was a fun job that I enjoyed.
While working, I learnt that chess coaching is a skill by itself - you can be a great player, but that doesn't mean that you can be an effective teacher.
Overtime I got more and more into coaching, until it became my fulltime job. I felt a sense of joy whenever a student was struggling and then broke out of their wave, like how I did in my journey. Now not only was I responsible for my chess career, but also for the careers of others. Since I play competitively, I understand the desire for a good coach.
As I write this one of my younger students sent me an email and 🥹
I am now 23. And when it is sunny in New York City, I still spend the majority of my time indoors. But instead of playing videogames, I am now practicing chess and making lesson plans for my students. I still study to become a Woman Grandmaster, but I also balance it with helping others. Playing and teaching are my life purpose.
My last lesson with Emma before she broke her 1600 USCF goal