Mia Cohen is fourteen, and she has already played in chess tournaments in four countries. Our school reporter, Greg, met her after school.
Greg: How did you start playing chess?
Mia: My grandmother taught me when I was six. Every Saturday we played on her balcony. She never let me win on purpose. At first I lost every game, and I cried a lot! But when I finally beat her, a year later, I knew the win was real.
Greg: How many hours a day do you practice?
Mia: About two hours, after homework. I solve chess puzzles and study old games by famous players. Practice is not always exciting, but it is necessary.
Greg: What do you do after you lose an important game?
Mia: I allow myself to be sad for one evening. The next day, I look at the game again and try to find my mistake. A loss is the best teacher, if you are willing to learn from it.
Greg: What has chess taught you?
Mia: Patience. In chess you must think before you move, and imagine what your opponent will do. I try to do the same in real life — before I answer someone angrily, I think about the next "move".