Congrats World Youth Champion Harmony and her coach Nikolay

[George Zhou]

Many of us expected the genius of music and chess, a lovely girl Harmony Zhu be a world youth chess champion since she made impressive performance in Slovenia, and she is world champion now, congratulations to her and her parents, also her coach Nikolay(his other girl student from Windsor also made impressive performance this time).

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Congrats World Youth Champion Harmony and her coach Nikolay

Indeed, George! And for those few who may not know which Nikolay you're referring to, that would of course be Nikolay Noritsyn.

[Garvin Nunes]

Re: Congrats World Youth Champion Harmony and her coach Nikolay

This is great for Canada. Keep up the good work!

[Mikhail Egorov]

Re: Congrats World Youth Champion Harmony and her coach Nikolay

Congratulations to our new U8 Girls World Chess Champion Harmony Zhu and our new WFM!!!

Will Harmony be considered for 2014 Women Chess Olympic Team? In my opinion, she should seriously be considered.

GO CANADA GO!

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Congrats World Youth Champion Harmony and her coach Nikolay

Congratulations to our new U8 Girls World Chess Champion Harmony Zhu and our new WFM!!!

Will Harmony be considered for 2014 Women Chess Olympic Team? In my opinion, she should seriously be considered.

GO CANADA GO!

Given Harmony's current CFC rating of circa 1835 (after her SCC 'Falling Leaves Swiss' TPR of 2060 gets rated), and obviously still very much on the upswing, your suggestion would certainly seem to have merit, Mikhail. She's already the #11 rated female player in Canada and there's only a few of those names above her who likely have the time and inclination for an Olympic appearance. Given her international success these past 2 WYCCs (top 7-year-old in 2012 and top 8-year-old in 2013), I think it would bode well for our future Olympic teams to have Harmony playing the 4/5 board in 2014.

[Gerry Litchfield]

Re: Congrats World Youth Champion Harmony and her coach Nikolay

Harmony's press conference can be found at this link;
Time in 3 hours, 24 minutes into the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgOvG8rHNBA

Gerry

[Hal Bond]

Re: Congrats World Youth Champion Harmony and her coach Nikolay

A magnificent achievement for Harmony! Congratulations!

[Gordon Ritchie]

Re: Congrats World Youth Champion Harmony and her coach Nikolay

Delightful. This kid is a star.

[Andy Shaw]

Re: Congrats World Youth Champion Harmony and her coach Nikolay

Delightful. This kid is a star.

Her parents are the real stars. A parent molds his children.

A job well done Mr. and Mrs. Zhu.

[Kerry Liles]

Re: Congrats World Youth Champion Harmony and her coach Nikolay

Congratulations Harmony! What a talented young lady and a sweet girl.

[Hugh Siddeley]

Re: Congrats World Youth Champion Harmony and her coach Nikolay

A hilarious tidbit from the press conference that had me LMFAO:

Left Interviewer: Do you have a personal coach at the moment? Chess Coach?
Harmony: Yes.
LI: If it is not secret can you tell us about your coach?
Harmony: He's a very good coach. He taught me many nice things.
LI: Is he a grandmaster? or he is not?
Harmony: <Looking confused> I don't know.
Right Interviewer: What is your coach's name? Because I think your coach deserves some credit here for the excellent...
Harmony: <interrupting> Oh, oh by the way, you know I have a pet guinea pig, and his name is Scrumptious.
RI: Scrumptious!?
Harmony: He's a white guinea pig.
RI: White guinea pig!?
Harmony: Yeah, right now he's back at my home.
RI: Does he know how to play chess?
Harmony: <smiling> No.
RI: Are you going to teach him to play chess?
Harmony: I will try but I am not sure if he can learn it.
RI: Maybe he will become guinea pig chess world champion one day.
Harmony: <smiling> Maybe!?

Thanks for the link Gerry, that was awesome!!

[George Zhou]

Re: Congrats World Youth Champion Harmony and her coach Nikolay

A hilarious tidbit from the press conference that had me LMFAO:

Left Interviewer: Do you have a personal coach at the moment? Chess Coach?
Harmony: Yes.
LI: If it is not secret can you tell us about your coach?
Harmony: He's a very good coach. He taught me many nice things.
LI: Is he a grandmaster? or he is not?
Harmony: <Looking confused> I don't know.
Right Interviewer: What is your coach's name? Because I think your coach deserves some credit here for the excellent...
Harmony: <interrupting> Oh, oh by the way, you know I have a pet guinea pig, and his name is Scrumptious.
RI: Scrumptious!?
Harmony: He's a white guinea pig.
RI: White guinea pig!?
Harmony: Yeah, right now he's back at my home.
RI: Does he know how to play chess?
Harmony: <smiling> No.
RI: Are you going to teach him to play chess?
Harmony: I will try but I am not sure if he can learn it.
RI: Maybe he will become guinea pig chess world champion one day.
Harmony: <smiling> Maybe!?

Thanks for the link Gerry, that was awesome!!

so cute, she is a gift for Canada Chess despite she pays more attention on piano than chess, many chess people may not be aware, Harmony also won 1st place in piano competition at Carnegie Hall in New York this year

[Bob Gillanders]

Re: Congrats World Youth Champion Harmony and her coach Nikolay

Congratulations Harmony. A most deserving champion.

I am so glad you won. Now my narrative can change,
from: I lost to a little girl
to: I had chances against a world champion. :)

I look forward to our next game.

[Mikhail Egorov]

Re: Congrats World Youth Champion Harmony and her coach Nikolay

Yes with Harmony's new rating of 1835 and her recent accomplishments hopefully will play its role in selection process, Jack. Board #4 or #5 would be great for Harmony to get more international exposure, if she gets selected. Harmony will definitely will be great addition to 2014 Olympic Team!

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Congrats World Youth Champion Harmony and her coach Nikolay

Congratulations to Harmony on her world championship win and to her coach Nikolay Noritsyn who had his moment of glory interrupted by a white hamster named Scrumptious. Put a camera on a child and you never know what thought will pop up next.