For Andy Woodward, every chess game lives on, not as a score, but as a story that he can replay, move by move, from memory.
Andy, 16, has thousands of chess games stored in his mind.
“It feels really great to just be among the top players for my age in the world,” Andy Woodward said.
Andy was just five years old when his mom, Wendy, gifted him a game set with chess. His dad, David, taught him the rules and what started at the kitchen table has taken Andy to the top of junior chess in America.
“When we would get tired of playing with him, we would just observe him playing by himself,” David Woodward said. “Just a fascination with the pieces and calculating, and he just never tired of it.”
His parents signed him up with a local chess academy and the family’s sacrifices grew along with his talent, all to help their son chase his next move.
“In this last tournament of the U.S. Junior, about half the field or maybe more were close friends of mine, and it’s really difficult playing them back to back,” Andy Woodward said.
Because competition has also become his community. Woodward faced players who had become close friends through years of competing and traveling together. In the eighth round, he needed to defeat one of them to remain in contention, a result that left him feeling sad, his mother, Wendy Woodward, said.
“Um, yeah I guess part of it is we get to travel a lot, we get to see and make lots of friends from all around the world,” Andy Woodward said.
“We are very proud of him for his hard working and to reaching his goals step by step,” Wendy Woodward said.
This month, Andy won the U.S. Junior Championship for the second year in a row. Later this year, he’ll take a second consecutive seat at the U.S. Championship in October. The title earned Woodward $23,000, including a $3,000 winner’s bonus.
For Andy, every move is a story, and his next chapter may be the best yet.
Woodward said his earlier draw was probably his most difficult game of the tournament.
Defending the championship brought new pressures for Woodward. Some opponents played conservatively from the opening move, forcing him to take risks to create winning chances.
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