Las Vegas, United States
the guy Nelson Fernandez Raising the name of Honduras internationally by winning first place in open chess From Las Vegas, United States, in its class U2300. He defeated the American, Mexican, Panamanian, and Ecuadorean opponents.
24-year-old Sampdrano speaks three languages and has been living in Uncle Sam’s land for many years, the son of Nelson Fernandez, QDDG, former director of Diario LA PRENSA, and María Luisa Núñez de Fernández, will try to make one of their dreams come true, Face the Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, No. 1 in the world.
What does winning first place mean?
The event in Las Vegas was not only the best result of my career so far, now I remember Besides some Honduran chess legends, An honor I never thought of receiving.
What are the implications of this achievement for Honduran chess?
I really didn’t think this event would get as much publicity as it did.. The hope when something like this happens is that chess will be seen as a serious discipline and that it will attract more support for the Honduran Chess Federation. I would like this news to motivate more people to play chess.
How can this award help you in your career?
This victory, along with my title as a National Monument, helps a lot in receiving invitations to tournaments. I hope that in the future I will be considered to represent Honduras at the Central American Championships or at the Olympics.
How is Honduran chess ranked internationally?
Honduras has a lot of talent, and some chess players are at a very high level, like Nahon Javaret, Alendro Chinchilla, Marlon Miller, among others, who can compete with the best in Central America. I think if she was encouraged and supported more, we could go up a lot, but at the moment we are less than we would like.
Where do you aspire to go with chess?
To be one of the incoming international chess masters in Honduras before turning 30. We have only had one international master in the history of Honduran chess.
Which elite would you like to play chess with?
Certainly with the world champion, Magnus Carlsen. Obviously I have no chance of scoring, but it would be an honor to play against the best in the world.
How can beginners in Honduras improve their level?
I would recommend visiting the chess club to get started. There is one in La Entrada, Copán and at Morazán Stadium, and I have attended it for many years. Besides getting lessons or playing in those clubs, I recommend consuming chess content like books and YouTube videos. Today there is a lot of free content online that helps a lot in the development. There are also many good coaches in Honduras.
How did your passion for chess arise?
My father taught me to play when I was 5 years old, but I didn’t start taking it seriously until 10 years later, When we started holding events at school. My first tournament was a disaster, losing every match, which made me look for ways to improve. It became my favorite hobby and a bit of an obsession.
After a year of continuous training without much improvement, I convinced my parents to appoint me a coach, my international teacher Mauricio Arias, from Costa Rica, with whom I continue to work after about 10 years.
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