In his final chess tournament as a high schooler, Danial Asaria found himself up against a Grandmaster, and one of the highest ranked 18-year-olds in the US. With an early blunder, he hovered over the ‘resign’ button.
“I was so close to resigning,” Asaria recalls. “But then I realized this is the last tournament of my high-school career. I shouldn’t just blank out and give up.”
So, not wanting to end his high school chess career without seeing the match through, he pushed on. In the tense battle that followed, Asaria emerged victorious.
How Danial Asaria approaches new tasks with learned skills
Like fellow prodigy Dorsa Derakhshani, Asaria has found new ways to apply the skills and lessons learned from chess. Now, he has settled into life at the University of Southern California – virtually, at least. He’s studying computer science and business, keeping his options for the future open while exploring new passions.
“I think what they have in common is they’re systematic ways of approaching problems,” Asaria says of computer science and chess. Both on the chess board and off, whoever allocates resources in the best way is gonna win. You’re starting in the same position, and with the resources you have have to solve the problem in a way that hasn’t been done before.”
He adds that both also require dedication and hard work – another thing that draws him to them.
Coaching the next generation
“I’ve always enjoyed solving problems and puzzles,” Asaria says. He remarks how his parents first sent him to learn chess at the age of 7, because he had “too much energy.” Though he expected it to bore him, in fact it hooked him in.
“I was lucky enough to learn as a kid, and I think it’s an important skill to learn,” he explains. “Even if you don’t become a chess player, it teaches so many valuable life lessons.”
Now, Asaria wants to pass on those lessons to others. He has worked with multiple outreach groups, volunteering and coaching to teach kids to play chess. Even amidst the pandemic, he managed to organize a virtual chess camp of over 100 kids.
“It’s awesome, these kids from different states coming together to learn chess.” Having worked with a number of kids from war-torn countries, with difficult upbringings and lives, Asaria was inspired by and grateful for the bright, dedicated, and capable kids he has worked with.
Danial Asaria seeks the grandmaster title
Having recently finished up his first round of college finals, Asaria hopes to have more time for chess. In fact, he plans to use his available time to pursue the title of Grandmaster for himself.
“I’ve been pursuing it during Covid a bit,” he says. “I should have a tournament next month in NC. The issue is, most GM tourns are in Europe, so it’s a struggle with Covid.” Nevertheless, Asaria continues to practice and look for opportunities to keep moving up in the world of chess.
As Asaria’s first coach wrote on the whiteboard following their first lesson: “Every champion was once a beginner.” Book a lesson with Danial Asaria here.
