Brindle Morrow: 6-year-old Chess Champ

Brindle is in first grade at University School. After placing well in a scholastic chess tournament in Edmond in January, the US Chess Federation notified Brindle that she was nationally ranked as one of the top 100 female chess players aged 7 and younger. The better a competitor performs in tournaments, the higher their chess rating will climb. Her mom, Heather Morrow, says she is “very kind, has a precocious sense of fairness and justice, and a very tender heart.” Brindle is also passionate about chess, Pokémon and Minecraft.

TulsaKids: When did you start playing chess? How did you get started?

Brindle:  My dad taught me how to move the pieces when I was 3. After I learned how to move the pieces, it was easy. When I was 3, I got upset a lot because he never let me win. But one day when I was 5, I beat him! I ran to tell my mom, and we got to celebrate with ice cream.

Parents: It may sound incredulous, but Brindle showed signs of analytical and complex thinking since late infancy. She became accustomed to winning/succeeding at tasks without much effort, so we knew we needed to create opportunities and an environment for her to grow emotionally and cognitively. Chess seemed like a good solution! Losing matches while also gaining skills and having fun with her family taught her sportsmanship, pushing through a challenge, and not to be overly emotionally invested in winning or losing. In short – it helped create resilience. University School has also been an incredible environment for her growth.

TulsaKids: Who do you play chess with?

Brindle: I play chess with anyone who will play with me! I play my friend Jonah online. He’s really good. I play with my chess club at University School, and I play with my sister a lot, too. I also play with my online chess club in Virginia. One time I tried to play with my cat, but he wouldn’t sit still.

TulsaKids: Was it hard to learn how to play chess? Who taught you?

Brindle: My dad taught me how to play when I was really little. One day I was at [my best friend] Emi’s house, and my dad was playing chess against her dad. I didn’t care about playing in the sprinklers anymore because I just wanted to watch the chess game. Uncle Chris (Emi’s dad) told my parents they should find a chess coach for me. They didn’t know there was such a thing as a chess coach, so they had to look it up. Then I learned moves and tactics from my coach. The first move I ever learned was called the “Rook ‘n Roll.”

TulsaKids: What is the most fun thing about playing chess?

Brindle: Everything! I like the tournaments the most because they are exciting. I get to make friends from different cities. My mom and I are going to a big tournament and festival in North Carolina. I’m excited to ride on an airplane.

Parents: I told Brindle if she earned three medals at tournaments in the fall, that I would take her to a national chess festival. I 100 percent did not anticipate having to go. Apparently, that’s great motivation for her because she practiced independently more than she ever had. Now I’m headed to North Carolina in February.

TulsaKids: Do you play in competitions? If so, do you get nervous?

Brindle: I love tournaments! I don’t get nervous at all now, but I did when I was little. I didn’t like it when my mom and dad had to leave the playing hall. But now I’m not afraid of that since I’m 6.

Parents: Brindle plays in most scholastic tournaments in Oklahoma. She had a really hard time at her first tournament when she was 5. Her very first match she was paired with an older boy who didn’t appreciate being paired with a 5-year-old, and he asked her if she even knew how to move the pieces. That hurt her feelings and shook her confidence, and it made us wonder if she was too young. We were encouraged to keep going by other, more seasoned parents, so we used that moment with Brindle to come up with ideas about how she would treat younger children when she was the big kid.

She does her best every time and has fun, win or lose. When she’s walking back from a match, we can’t tell if she has won or lost because she carries herself the same either way. She also did a summer chess camp called “Accepting and Learning from Losses.” We have found that there are really nice parallels between chess (or any competitive activity) and life – great little nuggets for teaching. She does like winning medals and trophies though.

TulsaKids: You’re on a list of top chess players for your age. How does that make you feel?

Brindle: It makes me excited!

TulsaKids: How often do you play chess? Does it take a lot of practice to be good?

Brindle: If you want to win a lot, you do need to practice. Sometimes practicing isn’t fun, especially Tactics Tuesday. But I know if I want to win, I should practice. The fun practice is puzzles and puzzle duels against another kid. I play a little bit every day. Sometimes it’s a lot of games, and sometimes it’s just like one little puzzle. And sometimes I just like to play Minecraft or video games.

Parents: We do encourage her to play a little each day, but we don’t want to make it a chore. We try to weave it in naturally, like listening to a video lesson together in the car or playing puzzles while waiting in line at the grocery store. We don’t want chess to become a burden for her – we want it to be a joy.

TulsaKids: What would you tell other kids who might want to learn to play chess? How can they get started?

Brindle: First, just learn how the pieces move. It’s A LOT easier after that. You can ask a grown up, and you can watch free videos online too. Funmaster Mike on ChessKid is soooooooooooo funny.

TulsaKids: What other things to you like to do besides play chess?

Brindle: I love playing video games like Minecraft, Pokémon and Princess Peach. I play the piano and play the guitar at School of Rock. I loooove movies, and right now my favorite is Hercules. He’s so handsome. I also like “Knock Knock” jokes.

TulsaKids: Do you have a special fun fact about you that you’d like to share?

Brindle: I got a new cat this year. We found him in a tree in a cemetery! His name is Poe.

 Betty Casey is the associate publisher and editor in chief of TulsaKids Magazine. She has been with TulsaKids over 20 years.