14-year-old WGM Lu Miaoyi gained 200 score factors, secured the IM title, got here near scoring a GM norm, and skyrocketed to the world number-two spot for ladies below 20, all prior to now yr. The Chinese language teenager is already reaching historic ranges.

In case you are but to listen to about Miaoyi, it’s about time. The 14-year-old is one we’re going to hear extra from within the subsequent few years.

“She’s simply on an astronomical tempo. If we hold occurring the best way we’re proper now, we could be speaking a few potential world champion contender. Perhaps Judit Polgar can have just a little little bit of competitors within the historical past books,” the world’s greatest chess Youtuber IM Levy Rozman, aka “GothamChess,” remarked in a 2023 video that so far has 314,000 views.

If we hold occurring the best way we’re proper now, we could be speaking a few potential world champion contender.

—Levy Rozman

The Chinese language chess prodigy has had an explosive begin to 2024, enjoying back-to-back tournaments with nice success, and she or he could also be rewarded with a spot on the robust nationwide crew for the Chess Olympiad in Budapest this yr.

Within the conventional Reykjavik Open in Iceland, which ended on Thursday, the younger prodigy was only a final-round win away from scoring her first GM norm. Dealing with six grandmasters, Miaoyi scored 50 %, together with a draw in opposition to legendary GM Vasyl Ivanchuk.

Nevertheless, the spotlight second was her delivering a crushing defeat with Black in opposition to England’s GM Daniel Fernandez in spherical seven.

Regardless of a setback within the remaining spherical in opposition to GM Hedinn Steingrimsson, the place she was shut to attain a sensational first GM norm, Miaoyi added one other 28 score factors to her profile. She completed thirty third out of 395 members with 6 factors and a score efficiency of 2489.

Since January, Miaoyi has ascended by means of the ranks with staggering pace, choosing up 185 score factors to elevate off from her score of 2252. The 14-year-old is now ranked as excessive as second amongst women below 20 years, behind IM Bibisara Assaubayeva, rated 2437.

Chess has been a serious a part of Miaoyi’s household since her childhood as her mom is WGM Xu Yuanyuan, the 1997 World U16 Ladies Chess Champion and 2000 World Junior Ladies U20 Champion. Her grandfather was additionally an newbie chess participant and a xiangqi (Chinese language chess) champion.

In 2012 her mom introduced two-year-old Miaoyi to her chess membership and located that she didn’t make any noise in her class. Just some months later, she had realized the essential guidelines of chess. In 2017, Xu Yuanyuan closed her chess membership and the entire household moved from Beijing to Hangzhou to turn out to be a full-time chess mother. 

The breakthrough got here when the household began travelling overseas in 2020. Miaoyi gained occasions in Czech Republic, Poland and Serbia. Having simply turned 10, she gained a gorgeous miniature in opposition to IM Lilit Mkrtchian.

Because the pandemic restricted choices at dwelling in China, Miaoyi took a break from college and travelled to Belgrade, Serbia to play tournaments continuous. “We need to study extra and compete with folks from completely different nations,” her mom instructed Chinese language media.

Unable to return to China as a result of pandemic, Miaoyi performed greater than 500 rated video games in all codecs throughout 2022. She made important progress and performed some lovely video games that noticed her acquire consideration from none apart from Rozman.

Miaoyi secured the WGM title in 2023, as one of many youngest ever, however lower than a yr later, she has already secured the IM title. Only a month previous to the Reykjavik Open, she clinched her remaining norm within the Kragero Open in Norway, after having scored two norms within the Vandoeuvre Open in France and Sevilla Open in Spain.

INTERNATIONAL MASTER AT 14!!!! 🥳
Lu Miaoyi makes her remaining IM norm in Kragerø! She made all three norms within the final two months! 🤯
Miaoyi would be the 4th-youngest IM ever (!!) amongst #womeninchess, and simply the 2nd to earn the title at 14!https://t.co/cbgZHN9Oqw
📷: KSU#chess pic.twitter.com/5kjFabnWOa

— Girls’s Chess Protection (@OnTheQueenside) February 25, 2024

In line with Chess.com’s Tai Pruce-Zimmerman, who carefully tracks historic scores for probably the most promising children, Miaoyi’s anticipated April score of 2437 will probably be one of many highest ever for a feminine participant on the similar age.

In reality, solely three gamers have been larger at, or earlier than, her age:

• Judit Polgar: 2555
• Hou Yifan: 2549
• Kateryna Lagno: 2493
• Lu Miaoyi: 2437
• Bibisara Assaubayeva: 2421
• Alice Lee: 2406

For enjoyable, here’s a scatter plot of EVERY printed score between the ages of 13 and 15 by any participant that has (as of now) additionally had a printed score of 2700+ later of their profession. Plus, Lu’s scores up to now in that age vary (in crimson).

With this sampling bias she matches in properly pic.twitter.com/YcKveuCMTJ

— Chess by the Numbers (@ChessNumbers) March 19, 2024

It would not appear like Miaoyi and her mom intend to relaxation for lengthy. In April and Might, the 2 have signed up for open tournaments in Cyprus and Greece.