2024: Chess Simul with Grandmaster Jianchao Zhou

There are more billionaires in the world than chess grandmasters. On Sunday, May 19th, 34 chess enthusiasts—adults and children—embraced the rare opportunity to play against Grandmaster Jianchao Zhou at Belmont’s Beech Street Center. This is a simultaneous exhibition (or simul) in which a player of high rank plays multiple games. After three and a half hours, with little surprise, Grandmaster Zhou won all 34 games! 

“Great experience for the kids,” participants responded on our feedback form. “All in all, great fun, I hope you do it again next year!”  

Grandmaster Jianchao Zhou is China’s 21st grandmaster and now lives in the Boston area. He won the 2023 US Chess Grand Prix along with numerous other tournaments in New England in recent years. He answered a few questions from participants before the game. 

State Senator Brownsberger was one of the players and gave a brief talk about playing chess with his father. Belmont High School Chess Club president Lewis Tu (12th grade) and member Jerry Chen (10th grade) also talked about their chess experiences and the benefits of chess playing. 

Posters and slides featuring BCAH activities and famous AAPI chess players such as Hikaru Nakamura, Abhimanyu Mishra and Carissa Yip were on display during the event.

This event is organized and sponsored by BCAH and Belmont High School Chess Club. We also appreciate the co-sponsorship of AoPS (Art of Problem Solving) Academy.

Read the Belmont Voice report.