Christopher Shen is a master at chess. Literally.
Since age 6, the Dublin resident and rising senior at Columbus Academy has been competing in chess tournaments. At age 10, Shen earned the title US Chess National Master and is now ranked top two in the US for his age group.
What’s most impressive, though, is his commitment to giving back. Shen is currently in the process of starting his own nonprofit in addition to volunteering his time at the Ohio Chinese School in Columbus to teach students chess, passing down the tradition in the school where he learned to play.
From Rook-ie to Chess Master
While Shen started learning the game at the Ohio Chinese School in Columbus, he is mostly self-taught.
Shen quickly rose through the ranks by going to monthly tournaments and studying chess scholars.
At one point in his career, Shen considered quitting the game that had brought him so much success. His father encouraged him to continue and to not leave this chapter of his life unfinished. Shen took his advice and the perseverance paid off.
“And as I kept playing and playing, I just fell more and more in love with the game,” he says.
As he entered high school, Shen began looking into how he could help the Dublin and Columbus communities where he was raised.
He found that opportunity through chess.
“(Chess) became less about winning these awards,” he says, “but about taking something that I know and have experience about and putting that back into the community that I love and the community that I grew from.”
Shen believes chess to be an even playing field, a place where anyone can excel. He combined this with his passion for social justice to create something new for his community.
“I saw chess as this bridge,” he says, “so I started organizing these events for kids, … and teaching them this new vision of equity and this new vision of fairness and justice through chess.”
Shen returned to the Ohio Chinese School, and started teaching classes.
Just like his chess game, Shen’s class became a huge success.
“The next year that I came back, and I looked at my class enrollment to see not only a double in students but also to see a doubling in girls that have become interested in the chess course,” he says. “That really inspires me that maybe I can actually make a difference.”
Knight in Shining Armor
Shen was inspired by his success at the Ohio Chinese School to combine his chess expertise with his
passion for equity. During the pandemic, he launched Our Friday, a local virtual community open to all teens to play chess and receive free weekly tutoring. Through this program, Shen has assisted numerous disadvantaged children while promoting chess in minority communities.
Currently, Shen is working on the paperwork for his nonprofit, 614 Colors & Minds, that will work to empower children of color through innovation, critical thinking and social inclusion skills.
Through the University of Pennsylvania, he conducts research as a principal investigator, working on identifying microaggressions committed at Columbus Academy and how that affects students’ perceptions of belonging and academic performance.
Considering Shen’s schedule, it’s hard to remember he’s a high school student, but Shen says he doesn’t feel overwhelmed with his responsibilities.
“I get lost in the time, just working with my community,” he says. “It’s something that I love to do so I never really saw it as something burdening.”
Shen plans to focus on entrepreneurship in college so he can learn how to effectively help communities through a business or nonprofit model. And regardless of where he ends up, he knows philanthropy will be a major part of his life.
“I came from these communities,” he says. “I feel an obligation to be a role model to give back into those communities.”
Sarah Grace Smith is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
