By Sakshi Venkatraman
News Editor
@oompapa1
At the young age of 14, Coppell resident Jeffery Xiong is already making his mark in the world of chess.
In July, Xiong’s application to excel to Grandmaster status was approved by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) after he placed second in the U.S. Junior Closed Championship chess tournament on July 15 in St. Louis.
This makes him the second youngest Grandmaster in the world and the first Grandmaster from Texas in 30 years.
One of the turning points in Xiong’s career was his performance at the Chicago Open in May.
“I did not have a good start,” Xiong said. “But I kept fighting and never gave up and I finished strong.”
The next big moment for him was the Closed Championships, hosted by the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis. It is an annual invitation-only event for the 10 best players in the nation under the age of 20. Held from July 6-16, it was Xiong’s fourth time participating. The first time he was chosen in 2012, he was only 11, making him the youngest player ever to be chosen.
Xiong was the first ranked in the tournament draw and he lost to the second rank, 15-year-old Akshat Chandra, because of an intense, highly anticipated round seven match that ultimately ended in a draw. The drawn match put Jeffery behind Chandra and ultimately cost him the championship title.
“I would say I did not handle the pressure well, it was very intense,” Xiong said. “I played some good moves and was able to build a strong advantage; I thought I found a killer plan to win it decisively, but I had missed his defensive resource. Because of that, I was not able to win the game.”
Although disappointed by the unexpected loss, Xiong managed to learn from his mistakes and take away positives from the competition.
“Lots of lessons have been learned,” Xiong said. “Like mental toughness and don’t celebrate too early. I have also enjoyed my friendship with other players. We are rivals, but we are also good friends.”
Homeschooled now, Xiong has been playing chess since he was 5, when his father introduced him to it. Because of his talents, he has already been awarded a four-year scholarship to the University of Texas at Dallas, with the chance to compete for their accomplished chess team.
“It has been amazing to see how this sport has helped him to grow his intelligence, his character, his discipline and his strong desire to be a winner,” Jeffery’s father Wayne Xiong said. “He certainly has lost a lot of games during these years, but he has been able to stand up stronger every time, he takes it as a learning and growing opportunity. I believe this will build him into a winner in life, regardless what he does.”
In 2010, Xiong represented the United States at the Word Youth Chess Championships and won co-champion in the under-10 division. He describes this as one of his favorite moments in his career. This victory also earned him the mentorship of Garry Kasparov, Russian Grandmaster and former World Chess Champion.
“He is the best chess player in the history of humankind,” Xiong said. “It has been incredible for me to learn from him.”
Although Xiong travels frequently across the country with his father to participate in chess tournaments, he is backed by the support of his family back home in Coppell.
“I don’t see his him as often as I did before [he began traveling],” Jeffrey’s sister and Coppell High School junior Meryl Xiong said. “We used to hang out a lot, but now he spends a lot of time working on his chess, which is admirable. If he wants to do this seriously he needs to put in the time and spending all that time is not a burden for him. He never gets tired of chess. I’m very proud of him.”
Xiong’s long term goals include representing the United States at the World Chess Olympiad and winning many gold medals.
“I am just a kid and I am focusing more on my further development,” Xiong said. “I am clear that I have a long way to go to become a top player in the world.”
https://youtu.be/q4SH2-hRRV0
Xiong’s highly anticipated round seven match at the Closed Championships. Video courtesy STL Chess Club and Scholastic Center.
