Interview with Cindy Tsai
U.S. Championship, January 2003

Interview by Jim Perry

JFP: In the biographical information which you supplied to the Foundation [ed note: America's Foundation for Chess, the sponsor of the 2003 U.S. Chess Championships], you state that "chess has impacted and improved [your] life in every aspect". Could you elaborate on this?

Cindy Tsai: Chess has benefited me in a lot of ways. It is a good way of boosting your confidence. You get to do something which you love and it helps you with developmental skills like problem solving. And it helps you not only intellectually, but also it helps you socially because you get to meet a lot of different people. I just love playing the game and it has provided me with a lot of opportunities to travel around the world and meet so many different people.

JFP: You mentioned that it helps you socially. The stereotype, correct or otherwise, of chessplayers is that they are rather bad when it comes to social skills. But you have found it quite the opposite?

Cindy Tsai: I don't think that the stereotype is correct. A lot of chessplayers are just normal people, intelligent and good socially. Chess is a good way to meet new people. It is no different than if you are interested in football or something else. It's the same type of thing.

JFP: Has chess impacted your schooling? Has it been difficult to keep up with your studies or has it maybe actually helped you in school?

Cindy Tsai: I think chess has helped me in school, but my first priority is still school. Because of that I don't have as much time to spend on chess or to play in tournaments or study chess.

But I think chess has helped me. There is that connection between math, music, and chess. I also play the piano and I compete in math competitions and in piano competitions. They all reinforce each other. It's the same type of skills.

JFP: So you are doing a lot of things that are competitive by nature or by choice -- chess, math, music. Would you say that you are a naturally competitive person?

Cindy Tsai: I would say that I love competition, just the thrill of winning, even losing. It's all part of the game. I just enjoy the aspect of the competition. I think it helps you -- it provides motivation.

JFP: Chess is a war game, a fighting game. It has been speculated that perhaps women are not attracted to chess because of the competitive nature of the game. Would you agree with this in general even if it is not true of yourself?

Cindy Tsai: Yeah, I'm sure it turns off some people. But I know a lot of girls that don't want to play chess just because they have other interests. So I guess I'm not sure if that is really true. At least it is not true for me. For me, the competitiveness of the game is what makes it exiting.

JFP: The great majority of people who play the game at all levels are male. How would you explain that? Why are so few girls involved in the game?

Cindy Tsai: I guess it mostly has to do with tradition, because in the past, it was almost all men who played chess, so it just never caught on with women.

JFP: What about the game itself? Is it a sport, a hobby, a game, or recreation?

Cindy Tsai: Some people have said it is an art, and a science, and sport. I think it is really all three. It's a sport because it is a competition with winning and losing and it is an art because you are always trying to find the best move. And it is a science because you do study it just like a regular subject at school. You memorize the openings and you study techniques. It is really structured. You can really study it structurally, so it is all three.

JFP: You mentioned also in the biographical material that you enjoy reading novels. Who are some of your favorite authors?

Cindy Tsai: Well, one of my favorite books is Jane Austin's "Pride and Prejudice". Right now I don't really have that much time to read a lot of different novels. It is what I like to do when I do have free time.

JFP: What are your goals in life? Say, in the next five years, where do you want to be as a chessplayer and as a person?

Cindy Tsai: Well, I am going to college next year and I hope that I would have time for chess. But if not, I will always love the game. Whenever I have free time, I'll try and continue to improve and play. But I don't know -- I'm not too sure about it in the next few years with college and everything.

JFP: How important a part of your life is chess? Are you one of the "chess is my life" people or is it just a part of your life? In general, what role does chess play in your life?

Cindy Tsai: It plays a large role. It has taken me so many places, to so many countries like France, Spain, all over South America. It has really impacted my life in a lot of ways, but I wouldn't say that chess is my whole life because I have other interests too and I like many different things. But chess is a very big part of my life.

JFP: You've been all over the world, as you mentioned, playing in several World Junior Championships, and in many different countries. When you go to these events, do you really have a chance to get acclimated to the country you are in, or do you just see the inside of the tournament hall?

Cindy Tsai: Usually they have one free day, so that would be time for sightseeing. But most of the time I have a lot of homework to make up because these tournaments are always during the school year and last two weeks. But I like going to these tournaments especially because I am learning Spanish at school. I get to meet a lot of people from South America or Spain and I can become friends with them. It is really interesting to see all these different cultures, be a part of it, and represent the United States.

JFP: This is the second year you have participated in the U.S. Championships under the new mixed gender format. What do you think about this new format where they mix the men with the women?

Cindy Tsai: I think it is definitely better. It brings more attention to the event and I think it is more right to have the men and the women combined together. I don't think it is detracting from the prestige of the tournament. I really like it and I am honored to be back here for the second time again as a seeded player.

JFP: Do you think there will ever come a day when the girls will beat the boys?

Cindy Tsai: Sure. Probably, anyway. It all depends.

JFP: As you look at what you know about the game itself and look ahead several decades, do you think chess will one day become "played out" the way Capablanca once feared? Will we be playing Fischer random chess 50 years from now?

Cindy Tsai: There are so many possibilities that I don't think it's possible for it to become played out. I'm sure computers will affect chess in some ways, but I don't think it is going to be such a dramatic change that we will be playing a different type of chess in the coming years.

JFP: Have you ever tried Fischer random chess?

Cindy Tsai: Not really. I usually just play regular chess.

JFP: What is the one thing about chess in America that you would like to see different?

Cindy Tsai: I would definitely like to see chess being more recognized as something beneficial for schools and everything. It really does help the mind and help develop people and help them grow, so I would like to see more chess in the schools, which is one of the things America's Foundation for Chess is doing.

END