Laurel Aronian and Madison Brown, the Connecticut and Indiana State Representatives at the 11th Annual WIM Ruth Haring National Tournament of Girls State Champions, recount their memorable experiences at the prestigious event through their submissions to the Chess Connections Magazine. WIM Ellen Wang, CTC Founder and Managing Director of Chess Connections, is grateful for their acceptance of her invitation to contribute.
Madison describes her daily routine to help her stay comfortable throughout the tournament, despite her unfamiliarity to the Palm Springs summer weather that consistently flies over 110 Fahrenheit. She also deep analyzes her loss to Ellie Zhang of Southern California, reflecting on her lessons drawn from the game, i.e., to stay calm through critical situations, and offering her advice to other girl players to persevere in spite of others’ comments or labels.
Laurel presents one of her games, a victory that features many tactical and decisive moments. She also highlights the social aspects of the tournament: singing the National Anthem at the opening ceremony, a pizza party where participants chatted and mingled, and bowling with her family!
Although the Ruth Haring Tournament can be one of the most intense and grueling battles for girls, both Madison and Laurel emphasize the unique aspect of the event: the opportunity and the honor of being able to compete with girls from across the nation! The shared camaraderie among all the players was remarkable, and the lifelong friendships forged through their play will be forever cherished.
To read the latest issue of the Chess Connections Magazine, where these two articles are published, please visit Chess Connections Magazine.