The Bellaire chess team has been a force to be reckoned with over the last few years with superior playing in tournaments across Houston.

The most likely reason for this? Joe Fang.

             Currently president of the chess club Joe Fang is nationally ranked first in state for two consecutive years in his age group and is currently ranked fourth nationwide for the senior division in the United States Chess Federation.

            Fang has been playing chess competitively since the sixth grade and has always had a flare for it.            
            “When I first started my mom got me a chess teacher from China, but it didn’t help me improve any faster so instead I just learned to play well by playing a variety of different people and learning what worked and didn’t work and used those to my advantage.” Fang said.

            This way of learning chess caused Fang to pick up a style of play he described as unorthodox.
Unorthodox style
            “In chess most people usually find it valuable to memorize openings, use and follow them,” he said.  “I don’t do this and instead play until I can find a weakness in my opponent’s game plan and figure out how to use it to my advantage.”

            This unorthodox style can make it difficult for Fang to be defeated because it can appear that he is using one opening, or strategy, but in a matter of seconds he is able to completely change his game plan.

            Typically chess tournaments require large amounts of mental preparation for success but for Fang, chess comes so easily that he hardly needs to think about it the night before. Some people go through ritualistic preparation the night before a game but for Fang it is as simple as get a good night’s sleep and eat a hearty breakfast.

            “It is a competitive sport,” said Fang. “You are constantly trying to get into your opponent’s head so you can figure out what his plans are for turns from where the game is, and you have to constantly be changing your strategy to make sure that you are always just a step ahead of him no matter what the cost.
Studies the opponent
            Trophies also make it competitive. Everyone wants to bring home a trophy that really means something and being able to successfully accomplish that always makes you feel really good about yourself and gives yourself a huge confidence boost.”

            When Fang sits down with his opponents during a tournament match the first thing he does is look at his opponents to analyze how confident they appear to be. As the match goes on he continues to stare them down, looking for signs of anxiety and more reckless behavior in their play style.

            “Perhaps the best way to improve at chess is by reading books,” Fang said. “Books can teach you all the openings you need and what opening is good for countering an opponent’s strategy. One could also hire a coach to train them but trying to do that is costly and is not always the best way for some people to learn.”

            One thing that Fang is proud of at the moment is his winning streak of nine plus four draws.

            “At my level I typically don’t get checkmated all that often,” Fang said. “Typically I either draw or resign if things are going particularly badly. Perhaps the most memorable loss I have had to date was when I was about to have a draw with my opponent but then I was blunder checkmated (a mistake that causes a player to lose.) It was a game that I should have gotten out of with a draw but instead I lost.”

             As this is his last year as part of the chess team, Fang is already looking ahead at how the team will do without him.

            “I think the chess team will be fine,” Fang said confidently. “There are a lot of good players at the lower levels who should continue to be competitive. With what the team has now and possible additions next year - I feel assured that the team will maintain its dominance."