Southlake resident Sarah Chiang competes in a national championship.[/caption]"It was a lot of fun," she said. "There were girls from all over the country, one from California, one from Michigan just to name a few. It was a great opportunity to put my skills to the test and hopefully I'll keep on improving."
The competition is invitation only and consists of the top 10 women chess players in the nation who are under 21.
Chiang, 18, came into the competition ranked No. 3 in the country.
"I have competed all over the country and internationally," she said. "When I competed in my first competition I was close to eight years old. It wasn't long after that, that I became nationally ranked."
Chiang said she first started to play with her brother at home and would also practice at a local elementary school in Southlake. Now she plays and competes at the Dallas Chess Club.
"There are so many great players in the area," she said. "Playing against them helps me improve my strategic skills."
Chiang graduated from International Connections Academy, an online private school, in June and will attend Washington University where she will pursue a medical career to become a doctor. She said she also has plans of continuing her chess career and obtaining the title of Grandmaster of Chess, a title that less than 300 women in world history hold.
