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2004 Scholar-Chessplayer Award Winner
Asuka Nakamura
When NSCF instructor Asuka Nakamura was very young, he cut a swath through the Scholastic Chess world, breaking all records.
Now a national master, Asuka has won the distinguished National Scholar-Chessplayer award for 2004. This award carries a $2000 college scholarship. The USCF announcement states:
"The first-place winner is Asuka Nakamura. A national master,
Asuka is a 13-time national chess champion and eight-time member of the All-America Chess Team.
He has represented the US three times at world youth chess competitions.
An accomplished musician,
Asuka also holds the honor of perfect scores for three successive NY State math regents’ exams."
Asuka's essay, The Positive Influence of Chess on My Life, published in the July 2004 Chess Life, is of interest to all aspiring young chess players, and to chess teachers as well:
"I hate losing. According to the social Darwinist theory of Herbert Spencer, life is survival of the fittest.
But as I was playing chess with a young kid at a chess camp that I instructed at during the summer, it occurred to me that life is not always
about winning and losing. When I played Anders Larsen, that young boy at summer camp, I did not play my best. To see
him be so happy was more rewarding than winning another chess game.
Chess has been an integral part of my life since my memory can recall. It was my special talent, the one aspect of my character that clearly defined me as a person.
As I grew older, I began to realize how much chess had given me. I had made many friends and acquaintances around the world, and I had gained national acclaim as the top scholastic player in the country.
By the time I began high school, I decided that I would spend more time teaching chess. I did not set out to make everyone
a championship player - that requires a devotion greater than many young kids can summon. Instead, I wanted to spread the simple joy
that the game of chess brings. The strategy, the thought process, the timeless art - these were the aspects of the game that I sought to bring to the kids I taught.
During my conversion from being a student of chess to a teacher of it, I have learned many life lessons from my experiences. My communication skills have improved greatly; breaking down the rules of chess into terms a young child can understand is an exercise in the proper use of words.
I have become more patient; first and second graders are the best at raising one's irritation threshold. Most importantly, I have learned that every action I take does not need to provide a direct benefit to me.
A few years ago, I played chess for two reasons: I wanted to make my rating higher, and I was motivated by monetary awards at tournaments.
Nowadays, I play because I want to enjoy myself, and I teach chess because it is something that everyone should have the opportunity to learn.
I know I am not going to be the great chess player that my brother has become, nor the charismatic, eloquent chess teacher my stepfather has gained recognition for.
I'm merely trying to spread my lifelong passion to others. And if the only thing I get is a toothy grin from a young face, that's okay.
Sometimes winning doesn't mean everything."
This article speaks for itself as to the quality of this young man.
Asuka is now attending the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
His students will miss him at the Brunswick and Purchase schools, and at the NSCF summer camp at the Girl Scout House in Scarsdale.
We hope to see him back teaching one day soon.
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