Meet The 17-Year-Old Chess Expert Representing Malaysia At An International Meet In Prague
Nur Batrisya started when she was just 10 years old and now mentors other teens in the sport.
By Sabrina Zainal — 11 Jan 2022, 06:46 PM
Reaching chess mastery is really hard, but the sport has given an opportunity for a 17-year-old to represent Malaysia on the international stage
Nur Batrisya Wafa Mohsen recently went viral for competing against experienced and mostly adult chess players in the Prague Open 2022 in the Czech Republic.
Facebook page The Hacker Checker said she is representing the group and is participating in multiple matches, which started on 7 January and ends on 14 January. According to the International Chess Federation, Nur Batrisya is in the 'Expert' category based on a chess rating system that estimates the strength of a player.
Her father, Mohsen Amdan, said that Nur Batrisya's participation in the tournament was fully funded by her parents because they wanted to give her more exposure
When asked by Sinar Harian, he said the experience of competing abroad can also help further her career in the chess world.
The 17-year-old from SMK Convent Kajang had previously competed in international tournaments but due to the pandemic, the events took place virtually.
He added that Nur Batrisya has won many local chess competitions and most recently emerged runner-up in the under-18 category at the Selangor Schools Sports Council Chess Tournament 2021.
The teen is also one of the recipients of the Sports Scholarship Award from the Ministry of Education.
Nur Batrisya's passion for chess started when she was 10 years old and now she coaches teenagers and children interested in the sport
Her two younger siblings, Nur Basyira Wafa, 15, and Mohd Evan Mikail, 11, are also chess players and have played in Thailand.
Mohsen hopes his daughter will inspire more young players, especially women, because chess is usually a game dominated by men.
After the Prague Open 2022, Nur Batrisya will go on to compete in several other chess tournaments in the Czech Republic.
