Rose Atwell at the 2024 US Chess Championship – a dream come true

Rose Atwell is the wild card 2024 US Women Chess Championship which starts October 11 in Saint Louis. Rose Atwell is only 15 years old but is considered one of the top talents in US chess. She started playing chess only seven years ago and already has a dream come true – to be part of the US Chess Championships.

Rose Atwell sets her standards high and says, ” I really hope that I can be a part of the [Olympic] team in 2 years for the Chess Olympiad 2026.” Read the full interview with the 2024 US Chess Championship wild card to find out how she prepares for the event, what are her goals, at which tournaments you can follow her, who is her role model and what she does in her free time.

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You are the wildcard of the Women section of the 2024 US Chess Championship 2024. What does participating in this event mean for you?

I started playing tournament chess in 2017, and ever since then, I’ve always watched the US Women’s Championship.  And every year, I’ve imagined what it must feel like to play in the event.  And this year, I get my chance!  Needless to say, it’s a dream come true.  

And I feel very lucky to have been invited.  US Chess could have easily chosen someone else as the wildcard.  By next year’s event, I hope to be higher rated so that I can qualify more easily by rating and not need the wildcard status.   

How are you preparing for the top US event of the year?

Over the past few weeks since I received the invitation, I’ve spent extra time on my openings and calculation.  I’m used to working on chess a lot, but recently my motivation level has been even higher than usual. 

Carrisa Yip just won the gold medal on board 2 at the Chess Olympiad, while Alice Lee was silver on board 4. Practically the whole US team from the Olympiad plays at the the Us Chess Champs. Does that elevate the event to another level?

Yeah, the US Women did very well at the Olympiad this year. And I really hope that I can be a part of the team in 2 years for the next Olympiad. A good way for me to show that I deserve to be on the next team would be for me to perform well against the current team at the US Champs.

You are just 15, but you are already an FM and chasing the IM title. Can you share your roadmap/plan for getting there?

My goal for 2025 is to get the IM title.  I still have zero IM norms and I also need to gain a lot of FIDE rating.  But I think I will be playing in one or two strong tournaments each month, so if I play well, then I should be able to meet the requirements for IM pretty quickly.    

What are your next events in the calendar?

In November I’ll be in Charlotte, North Carolina for an IM norm event and also for the 2024 US Chess Masters.  I’ve never been to the Charlotte Chess Club before and I’m definitely looking forward to it. 

Who is your role model in chess?

Judit Polgar

In your free time, what do you like to do besides chess?

When I’m not studying chess, I enjoy reading, running, working in the garden, and playing with my 2 little brothers.