Ralph Tan, 16 year old resident of Shaker Heights, is living proof hard work does pay off.  On April 10th Ralph secured a result at an over-the-board tournament in Twinsburg, OH that edged him over the critical 2200 mark to 2208 USCF, enough to secure the National Master Chess Title which he received shortly after.  NM Tan is the youngest in Shaker Heights to receive such a title.

In addition to playing tournaments, Ralph has also taken up teaching with Progress With Chess and is doing a remarkable job, not just as an assistant, but as an instructor with Progress With Chess.  He teaches online classes in Sunday Class Championship Challenge with Ian Golias, in Sunday Class Fantastic Foundation, the Beachwood Elementary class and is the lead instructor for Orange Recreation chess class under light supervision.  Progress With Chess conducted a short interview with this young talented player regarding these great accomplishments:

Do you have any advice for chess players who wish to obtain NM Title as you have achieved?

My advice for chess players who would like to obtain the NM title is to practice everyday (online/or in person) even if you become frustrated from losing games, because every game is important and you can learn a great deal of knowledge even from one move! I also recommend puzzles everyday to improve pattern recognition and increase your calculation depth and playing as many tournaments as possible (PWC holds many great tournaments that I participate in!). Playing tournaments can allow you to connect with others who can help you on your journey in chess.  Also, watching instructive chess videos/tuning into live chess streams on Twitch, participating in awesome chess classes that PWC offer, and keeping up the top players in the world.

What does the NM title mean to you?

The NM title means a lot to me as it is a step closer to the goal of achieving the Grand Master title and allows me to show that there is some tough competition in future tournaments!  I wish I could have secured the title earlier but due to the pandemic it delayed many things including my opportunities to play tournaments, but I am still grateful to have obtained this honorable title.

What is your next goal from here?  

My next goal is to continue learning and play bigger tournaments across the country in order to try for the GM title and at the same time spread some knowledge every now and then.

How will you accomplish this goal?  

I will probably try to accomplish this goal by playing many tournaments as possible and at the same time maintaining my school work.   Chess actually helped me improve in school a lot!

Does teaching chess help or hurt your chess and why?  

Teaching is a wonderful opportunity that I have been given and it helps my chess as when we break down puzzles and understanding certain chess topics, I am able to see more available options along with the help of my students that I can possibly use in my future games.

Is there anyone you would like to thank?

I’d like to thank my family members as they supported me all the way up till now, friends that I have met during chess tournaments which caused a beneficial rivalry for all of us to improve from, and PWC for their instructive opportunities such as tournaments and chess classes.

Since we enjoyed having you as a Sunday Class student, did PWC Sunday Classes help you improve at chess and contribute to your success? 

PWC Sunday Chess Classes were a factor of my success as I was there since nearly day 1 with a rating of about 1200 USCF and through my ups and downs in tournaments, I used some knowledge that I’ve obtained from them to build up to a rating of 2211! PWC Sunday Chess classes contains wonderful, instructive, strong chess instructors and activities such as playing rated games and having pizza parties at the end of their camps.  I recommend everyone who is on a chess journey to participate!