Making her move
Former Wichitan wins gold medal at national youth chess tournament
By Maurel Merette
Friday, February 15, 2008
Claudia Muñoz is turning heads.
The 10-year-old Wichita Falls native recently won a gold medal at the North American Youth Chess Championship in Aguas Calientes, Mexico, where she was undefeated.
Muñoz was born in Wichita Falls and lived here until she was 5, when her family moved to Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. Her father runs a foreign language school there.
But their heart is still in Wichita Falls, said her father, Abed Muñoz Sanchez.
“We never cut ties with Wichita Falls. That’s where my wife and I met and we also have lots of friends in our church that show us their support,” Muñoz Sanchez said.
A member of local Overcoming Word Praise Center, Muñoz Sanchez explained that his youngest daughter’s involvement with chess came by pure happenstance.
“It was purely an accident. I was getting ready to give some classes and I asked her and my older daughter, Faith, if they understood this chess position,” he said.
“She glanced at the board for like three seconds and started staring at the ceiling.”
Surprised by this, Muñoz Sanchez asked his 6-year-old daughter what she was doing.
“She told me ‘I’m thinking’ and then she looked at me and told me the answer,” he said. “I told myself, ‘I guess I need to start coaching her.’ ”
Yet he never pushed either of his daughters to play chess.
“He really never forced me,” said Claudia. “He doesn’t want to be like other fathers that want to live their dreams through their kids.”
Muñoz Sanchez said that he has even tried to quit as his daughter’s coach, demurring that he was just average.
“I’m an average player,” he said. “In a professional tournament I may win as many as I lose.”
But his youngest daughter would not let him quit,
“I tried two years ago to not be her coach and she told me ‘No, you’re staying on,’ ” he said.
He also said his child chess prodigy can quit at any time she wants.
“We go year by year,” he said. “If all of a sudden Claudia says ‘that’s it’, we say OK.”
Claudia has now competed in state, national and invitational competitions.
Her latest victory came at the Susan Polgar National Open, where she won first place undefeated.
Claudia is proud to be an example for others like her.
“I know that I’m being an example for other girls in sports,” said Claudia, who is currently shining in a sport traditionally ruled by men.
She is focused. Aside from her regular studies, she studies chess for almost 15 hours per week.
Here is the full article.
Is this the same Claudia Munoz who blogs here?
Apparently she is.
She says she knows she’s being “an example” to other kids. Hopefully her ego will not inflate due to this early exposition as that could easily be the first step to stagnation and mediocracy. Good luck and stay humble!
Yes its me. Thanks for your comments. My parents give me “pride” check every day to make sure I stay focus. My faith in God and you guys as my friend keeps me straight. The articles are not new to me because since age 6 they have been writing them but thanks for the advice. I love you guys!
Thanks Susan!!
WCM Claudia Munoz
4th grade
womancandidatemaster.blogspot.com
Well said Claudia!
You make us proud!
Vaya con Dios!
I AM WCM CLAUDIA MUNOZ’S MOM
Hi!! Just wanted to let everyone know that my daughter knows her place. She gives God the honor and the glory for this talent that He has given her. So you are right she will NOT let her ego get in the way of her future. Thank you so very much for the advice. By the way, I am the mother!!!!!
Oh boy!!! So the cute one is really a true chess player… that is wonderful news!!! 🙂
And a Mexican girl too, that I had already guessed… I’m not that dumb, see?! 😉
Yo también hablo español, soy portugués y vivo cercano de Galiza!
And are you watching the tournament in Morellia? Well, you could meet our cute guy there, I see he already has lots of pretty fans… but surely not so very good at the chessboard as you…
Rui leprechaun
(…clever Claudia champion too! :))
Wow! Of course I am dumb, beautiful One! 🙂
Only now I realized that you have a true blog… I’m worse than a bat amidst the fog! 😉
And you’re an American citizen with Mexican ancestry, while I’m a Portuguese guy… the leprechaun ME! 😀
So I’ve already seen your videos, still you shouldn’t forget that “the Lord works in mysterious ways”.
Here’s an old song for you… Mum surely knows it as I do!!!
Que sera sera
Whatever will be will be
The future’s not ours to see
Que sera sera
All the very best for YOU…
Rui leprechaun
(…be a champion in life too! :))
Thank you leprechaun for your comments. Yes, Im an american that lives in Mexico. We actually live a block from the Rio Grande. My parents own a foreign language school here and they have american companies as clients. Im in love with chess and being in the news is normal because since I was 6 I have been winning tournaments. Im blogging right now in a computer that I won at the SUSAN POLGAR NATIONAL OPEN. My dream is to make GM. I love blogging here so i consider everyone family here. Gracias por hablar espanol conmigo, cuando llegue a Mexico no hablaba mucho, ahora hasta estoy estudiando frances.
WCM Claudia Munoz
4th grade
womancandidatemaster.blogspot.com
My parents told me that obsession is a dangerous thing.
They also told me that I could either believe that God would look after us, or that we should look after ourselves.
I could not understand why God would look after me rather than someone else who was my competition at the time. So I thought I’d better get on with looking after myself.
That Pascal bet is some bet though.