Frank Mu: 2007 Denker Representative
Charlotte Observer July 29, 2007

Frank Mu started playing chess in elementary school when his sister, now a 21-year-old college student, picked it up."It just kind of hit," he said last week, looking up from the Harry Potter book he was reading at the Scaleybark library.

Since then Mu, who lives in south Charlotte, has been to more than 100 tournaments, he said.

He finished first in the 2007 N.C. State Scholastic tournament, earning him a spot in this year's Denker tournament.

Asked to share his secret, Mu said he keeps his skills quiet when facing new opponents.

"They get pretty surprised when they learn how good I am," he said.

Family rivalries keep him sharp, too. Mu's sister and 12-year-old brother are accomplished players.

"I played my sister once in elementary school, and I lost terribly," he said. "That's a bad memory."

To prepare for the Denker competition, Mu has spent his Saturdays at local tournaments. He spends an hour or two a day playing online and studying chess puzzles, too.

But chess isn’t Mu’s whole life. This summer, he’s been volunteering, watching movies, reading and working out, he said.

And after Mu gets back from the tournament, chess will take a back seat to college applications, he said.

Mu plans to apply to UNC Chapel Hill, Duke, MIT and several Ivy League schools.

He wants to be a doctor or anesthesiologist.

As for chess, “I won’t make it my main career, but I’ll keep it as a hobby,” Mu said.