From Asylum to the Peak

Abhimanyu Mishra, an American chess player of Indian immigrant descent, broke the record for the youngest chess grandmaster at just 12 years and 4 months, and with his family’s support, aims to join the ranks of super grandmasters in the world. (Chess players with a rating of 2700+)

This is a path taken by many immigrant families, simultaneously with starting a new life in new countries.

In recent years, a new generation of Iranian child chess players, with the comprehensive support of their families, have achieved titles in the chess world that no one dreamed of in the early years of reopening the chess federation.

Parental dedication, the introduction of computers into education, and the implementation of modern methods of sports management for children by families have borne fruit. Parham Maghsoudi reached the world youth championship, and Alireza Firouzja crossed the boundaries of super grandmaster status to the point that he is recognized as the most serious potential rival to ‘Magnus Carlsen’ and the next world champion.

However, political issues in Iran have always been a stopping factor for Iranian athletes. For foreign travels and competitions with Israeli representatives, in whatever field you are, a bleak future awaits you. For this reason, Iran’s golden generation of chess players were forced to abandon playing under the flag of their homeland and pursue their chances abroad. Some who remained in Iran have experienced stagnation and face an uncertain future.

Without doubt, these prodigies represent those children who, for obvious reasons, never found the chance to develop their talents in Iran. Many of them are now outside Iran, in refugee status or residing in third countries, and if their talents are identified, they will find opportunities for growth and progress.

Contrary to popular belief, developing in chess does not require the innate talent of a chess prodigy. In 2017, Anders Ericsson, in a book titled ‘Peak’, conducted a precise evaluation of a method of home teaching and reached interesting conclusions that will be useful for all parents interested in the development and flourishing of their children.

According to Ericsson, progress consists of the following three stages:

• Stimulating curiosity

• Beginning serious practice and training

• Engagement and commitment to it (discipline)

This process typically begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues for at least ten years until the child acquires sufficient expertise, after which it will continue at a steady pace. During this journey and in pursuit of achieving excellence and acquiring professional skills, they transcend the boundaries of their abilities. Eventually, they not only break and expand their personal limitations but also those of the field in which they are striving, and in this way bring unprecedented and outstanding contributions to themselves, their families, and humanity.

According to Ericsson, parents play a fundamental role in a child’s development. By spending time, showing love, attention, and encouragement to their children, they guide their focus.

Now the Cathedral Church intends to create a starting point for the development of children in chess in cooperation with compassionate and eager parents. Follow the next reports in this field.

Pejman Safaei