ENGLISH 2 HONOR
  Flying on the chessboard
  Boyuan Xie  Eric  
  9-24-2014
Chinese chess, a special chess that is different from the chess you are familiar with. It is just popular in china, Japan and  korea. It comes from the wars in the ancient china. There are soldiers,horses, firecrackers,counsellors,cavalries,imperial bodyguards and one admiral. It is interesting and amazing. When i was in the kindergarten, my father  asked me to choose one of my favourite to be my major hobby. At that time, I chose the chinese, I really enjoy the time with chinese chess. At that time, I had a goal: win the golden medal in the  “WU HUA CHESS CUP”( a  competition between teenagers who are under 18 in chess) . This goal was hard. Through my time to achieve the goal, I had honors,I met difficulties, sometime I even wanted to give up. chinese chess has taught me a lot of things, Thanksgiving , Perseverance , hard working, it let me know the expectations from my parents, the concern from others… During the time to realize the dream , I was growing up.      
            When I was four years old, I started to learn to play the chinese chess . I was really excited when I touched the chessboard. I found that there was a special attraction from the chessboard to me.
I started to learn. I used only half an hour to get familiar with the chess pieces, and then, I used just one afternoon to know the usages of the chess piece called soldiers. my teacher said that I was talent. So I was hopeful to realize my dream.  It just like me, when everyone first makes his goals or dreams, he or she will feel hopeful because there is no problems first. like what we said in china: newborn calves are not afraid of tigers!
At the age of five, I have learned all the basic knowledge. So my teacher advised me to join a “ki-in”(a place where lots of chess players get together to learn more skills.). Before I be a member of it, I was ambitious. However, after I joined it, I met setbacks. I lost all the games in the first week. I started to worry about my ability. But my teacher told me: “this was a common situation, everyone first here will face it . the fail will not beat you, instead, it tells you that you still have lots of things to learn!”  My teacher’s words waked me up.  I recollected the confidence and study hard. just like my experience, this part is everyone must faced. setbacks can not stop our steps to realize the dream, but setbacks will let us be practical, be modest , only like this, we can realize our dreams step by step! just like the old saying in china: Do not experience the wind and rain, how can you see the rainbow!
After two years hard work, i have had something. games are one of the most important ways to test my effort, so I took part in the game between my ki-in and the friendly ki-in in Japan. it was my first time to have such important games, before the games, I kept telling myself: “Boyuan, you can, you have two years hard work,this game is just one station        
           during the way to realize the game. if I fail this, how can I come first in the “WU HUA CUP”? ,come on!” because of the self-encouragement and the skills I learn in the ki-in, I became first in the game. this was my first honor,it was a milestone in the way to realize the dream.  To everybody, the honor you get during your way to realize the dream  is so important because this will be a great encouragement . And motivate yourself is a good way to beat problems and cheer yourself up when you are going to be nervous and hopeless. just like the old saying in china, power is the source of progress!
After two years ,when I was nine, my teacher told me that I can go to Beijing to have a try. when I heard this, I felt very excited. I thought that I had the ability to have good grades in the game because the win between my ki-in and the Japanese ki-in. I was not afraid of it.
But surprisingly, I failed in the first turn. Not only I was surprise,but also my parents were surprise. I felt very upset. I suddenly found that the dream was so far to me, I had a thought that I could not realize my dream anymore.
However, my dad came to me and asked me some questions. That made me feel better and kept going on. He asked: “ you tell me, have you tried your best in the game?” “certainly” I answered. “then, think about why you lose the game.” “I really do not know the reason!” I felt a little crazy and wanted to cry because my father did not come to comfort me. “ calm down, think that: have you been impatient so made mistakes, have you forgotten to use the skills you learn, have you thought thoughtful about every steps you played?” my dad’s words woke me up. I needed to sum up the experience and then do not make it again!
To sum up, I found that I was a little bit impatient during the game and fell into opponent’s trap, this is the reason why I lose. but i still need to think that why i was impatient. And then, I know the reason. Because I win the game between our ki-in and the Japanese ki-in, I felt so proud of me. And just like the old saying in china: modesty helps one to make progress, conceit makes one lag behind! and I Also found that I was not so hard like before, I knew that success  can not without diligence. So I knew that I needed to work harder.
Because of this  times fail, I had developed a training  program for me: after one day’s study in the school, I go to the ki-in every night to learn more skills, and every day play one turn, then every week play on the internet with computer(this one is harder). The most important thing is that I should  remember both me and my opponent’s steps in the games and after the game, I can analyze the game to know which step was good and which step I needed to change.
During the trip that we realize our dreams, we may have more than one trying, fail is not terrible, lose the hope is terrible instead. we need to sum up, we need to think why we fail, we need to develop a suitable program for ourselves, we need to keep going on.  Just like the pieces on the chessboard, one soldier dies but we still have four soldiers. all soldiers die but we still have two horses, two horses die we still have two firecrackers, even all of them die, the admiral is alive and it also has chance to win. never give up!
Because of this experience, I grown up. I knew to be modest,  I knew to be patient. I knew never give up and success needs sweats. The most important thing I knew was  that  the success is not easy! but just like what I knew, I felt hopeful again and kept going on!
When I was ten years old, after one year training by myself, I wanted to challenge a higher realm, which is called: YOUTH MASTER!  this was preparing for the game in beijing because every golden medal owner have had  this honor. To get this honor is so hard because I need to challenge three hundred children who are in the same level with me in china,Japan and korea. one hundred children in each country.
The first station is Japan. the first city I went to is nagoya, a small town but  it has most people play chinese chess. I went to the local Ki-in and told them that I wanted to challenge the “ youth master”, and hoped that they can arrange me twenty opponents. They agreed certainly. they said that they would arrange soon and shown me around the city first. the city’s view is beautiful, I really felt happy, with a positive and happy feeling, I developed all my abilities and won those games easily.
Just like the experience in nagoya, when I went to one city to challenge the local the local players, the ki-in will first show me around the city. So during my trip in ito,  sendai, aomori, fujiyama and tokyo, I have seen the beautiful view in Japan and won one hundred players in the Japan. but they told me, there was also a player in Japan to challenge the “youth master” , he not only won one hundred players in Japan, but also one hundred players in Korea. I know that he will be one of the most challenging player in the game next year. but I think I can win!
In order to reduce time, I just went to Seoul. I put a massage on the internet that I want to challenge one hundred players in Korea and be the “youth master”  because I want to save time and return back to china as soon as possible to challenge another “youth master” , I felt a little bit impatient, so there are some times I win very hard.
however, when I  went back to china, I still miss  him, he has went back to Japan, but he has had three hundred wins during his trip to three country, so he has become a “youth master” , this stimulate me deeply. I realized that I needed to be more quickly. after two weeks rest, my ki-in helped me find one hundred players, because of the games in Japan and korea,  my practical experience has developed a lot. so I won the games in china quickly. I became a “YOUTH MASTER”!
Because of these years effort, I finally won the game in Beijing and got the golden medal. In the final game, I met the Japanese “youth master” ,we have a very wonderful game. we all used all of our skills and thought a lot of changed before we put our pieces on the chessboard. at the final of the game, we both just have two pieces on the chessboard, the game was pretty drastic.we both stopped to think about  our next step because it was important. however,just like what the old saying says,unintentional positive outcomes! when I did not know how to play and the time is nearly over, I played the next step at will, but that step let him into disrepute. I win!
At the age of twelve, I realized my dream. at the time I went to the podium to get my honor, I felt successful. although I have  expended a lot, put a lot of effort into the dream, met a lot of troubles, those were not important. I never regret.
However, when I realize my dream, I find that the important harvest is not the golden medal, are the qualities I learned , the friends I have. but the most important is the experience. I will always remember that I have fought for almost eight years to realize my dream.
For everyone, the “golden medal” is not important, but the way you keep going on to get the “medal” is important. you will find that, you are growing when you try to realize your dream.
Just like the word in my title “ flying”, You can fly your dream higher and higher!