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Qiyu Zhou

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Qiyu Zhou
Zhou at the 2014 World Youth Chess Championships in Durban, South Africa
CountryFinland (2005–2011)
Canada (2011–present)
Born (2000-01-06) January 6, 2000 (age 24)
Jingzhou, China
TitleFIDE Master (2016)
Woman Grandmaster (2017)
FIDE rating2229 (February 2021)
Peak rating2367 (September 2016)

Qiyu Zhou (Chinese: 周齐宇; born January 6, 2000), is a Chinese-born Canadian chess player who holds the titles of FIDE Master (FM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM). Zhou won the Canadian women's championship in 2016 and has competed for Team Canada at the Women's Chess Olympiad since 2014. She was a former U14-girls World Chess Champion in 2014. She is pursuing her bachelor's degree at the University of Toronto with a major in Economics, Statistics, and a minor in Mathematics. [1][2][3][4]

Chess Career

Zhou began playing chess at three years old while living in Antibes in France.

Zhou moved to Finland at the age of four. Within a year, she became the youngest Finnish national chess champion in history by winning the under-10 open section of the Finnish Youth Chess Championships at five years old.[5] This achievement was widely celebrated in the media in Finland and led to her story being published in a national textbook for elementary school students. In addition to repeating as under-10 open champion for four years from 2007 through 2010."Nuorten SM-turnaukset 7.-10.6.2007" [Finnish Youth Championships 7-10 June 2007]. Kolumbus (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 24 May 2009. Retrieved 13 February 2021.</ref>[6] Zhou won the Finnish Women's National Chess Championship in 2010 at the age of 10.[7]

As the Finnish under-10 national champion, Zhou qualified to play in the World Youth Chess Championship on several occasions. She competed in the under-10 girls' division in 2005, scoring 4½/11 at age five.[8] After switching to the new under-8 girls' division for her next two World Youth Championships, Zhou won a silver medal at the 2008 event, which was held in Vũng Tàu, Vietnam.[9] She scored 8½/11, second behind only Zhansaya Abdumalik who finished with 10/11.[10]

In 2011, Zhou transferred her Chess Federarion from Finland to Canada. She became a Canadian youth national champion in back-to-back years, winning the girls' under-12 division in 2012 and the girls' under-14 division in 2013.[11]

In 2014, Zhou won the gold medal in the girls' under-14 division at the World Youth Championships in Durban, South Africa. [12][13][14]

In September 2016, Zhou won the Canadian women's championship[15] and as a result qualified to play in the Women's World Chess Championship 2017. She was knocked-out by Natalia Pogonina, but drew the first game with black.[16]

Team competitions

In 2014, Zhou made her debut at the Women's Chess Olympiad in Tromsø, Norway. She played board 4 for the Canadian team scoring 6½/9 points. In the same year, she also took part in the World Youth Under-16 Chess Olympiad in Győr, Hungary playing board 4 for team Canada, which finished fifth.

Streaming career

akaNemsko
Twitch information
Channel
Years active2020–present
GenreGaming
GamesChess
Followers125,000[17]
YouTube information
Channel
Subscribers15,000[18][19]
Total views533,000[19]
Last updated: 10 February 2021

Zhou began streaming under her twitch channel akaNemsko in June 2020. In August 2020, she was signed as a streamer by Counter Logic Gaming, becoming the first chess player to be signed by a major professional video game team.[20] CBC News noted that, "Zhou's contract in particular highlights the significant role played by Canadian players and streamers".[20]

References

  1. ^ "WGM Qiyu Zhou (Nemsko) - Chess Profile".
  2. ^ https://chessbase.in/news/WGM-Qiyu-Zhou-DVDs-on-opening-and-tactics
  3. ^ https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/news/media-qiyu-zhou-arts-science-online-chess-and-gaming-personality
  4. ^ https://trintimes.ca/arts/qiyus-gambit-an-interview-with-trinitys-own-chess-champion/
  5. ^ "Nuorten SM- turnaus Oulaisissa 9. - 12.6.2005" [Youth Championship tournament in Oulainen, June 9-12, 2005]. Shakkilaakso Ry (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 3 June 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  6. ^ "Kilpailutuloksia" [Competition results]. Shakkilaakso Ry (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  7. ^ "Henkilökohtaiset SM-turnaukset" [Personal Championships]. Shakki Net (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  8. ^ "World Youth Chess Championship 2005 G10 Belfort, France". Chess Results. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  9. ^ "Oululainen Qiyu Zhou shakin MM-hopealle" [Oulu-based Qiyu Zhou for World Chess Silver]. Kaleva (in Finnish). 30 October 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  10. ^ "World Youth Chess Championships 2008 - Girls 08". Chess Results. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Ottawa girl wins International chess competition". CTV Ottawa News. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  12. ^ "World Youth Chess Championships 2014 u14 Girls". Chess Results. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  13. ^ Helmer, Aedan (20 September 2014). "Ottawa chess master conquers world". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  14. ^ Silver, Albert (1 October 2014). "WYCC 2014: The winners and the stories". ChessBase. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Qiyu Zhou wins Canadian Women's Championship". Susan Polgar Global Chess Daily News and Information. 2016-09-30. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  16. ^ https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?pid=130243&pid2=54808
  17. ^ "akaNemsko Twitch". Social Blade. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  18. ^ "akaNemsko YouTube". Social Blade. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  19. ^ a b "About akaNemsko". YouTube.
  20. ^ a b Gollom, Mark (24 October 2020). "Meet the young Canadians helping online chess become a pandemic pastime | CBC News". CBC News.
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