Teens Champs from NC head to National

THESE SOUTHERN MECK TEENAGERS ARE DEDICATED, COMPETITIVE AND OK WITH THE FACT THAT SOME OF THEIR FRIENDS JUST DON’T GET IT. FRANK MU AND AMELIA WHEELESS ARE REPRESENTING NORTH CAROLINA THIS WEEK IN NATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENTS. MU, 17, A SENIOR AT THE N.C.

Pieces are in place for these teen chess champs

Frank Mu

Mu started playing chess in elementary school when his sister, now a 21-year-old college student, picked it up.”It just kind of hit,” he said last week, looking up from the Harry Potter book he was reading at the Scaleybark library.

Since then Mu, who lives in south Charlotte, has been to more than 100 tournaments, he said.

He finished first in last year’s N.C. State Scholastic tournament, earning him a spot in this year’s Denker tournament.

Asked to share his secret, Mu said he keeps his skills quiet when facing new opponents.

“They get pretty surprised when they learn how good I am,” he said.

Family rivalries keep him sharp, too. Mu’s sister and 12-year-old brother are accomplished players.

“I played my sister once in elementary school, and I lost terribly,” he said. “That’s a bad memory.”

To prepare for the Denker competition, Mu has spent his Saturdays at local tournaments. He spends an hour or two a day playing online and studying chess puzzles, too.

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