Nievevska Torres, 14, is a World School Chess champion from Peru. As she rises through the ranks, her father battles cancer and draws strength from her success. To defend her title, they must raise funds to travel. In the streets of Lima, people pay to play her, while the family sell homemade chocolates bearing her name. Together, they face life's toughest battles — one chess move at a time.

Lima

Nieveska Torres, a teenage chess champion from Lima, Peru, has achieved significant success in international competitions while being coached and supported by her father, Genaro, who is undergoing treatment for cancer. The family faces financial challenges, raising funds through homemade chocolate sales and community support to enable Nieveska's participation in tournaments.

Despite setbacks, including limited resources and Genaro's illness, Nieveska continues to excel, recently winning major youth titles and inspiring young players in Peru. The family's perseverance allowed Nieveska to travel to Serbia for the FIDE World School Chess Championship, with her father accompanying her, marking a milestone in both her chess career and their personal journey.

One move ahead: A daughter’s chess fight for her father

She's a teenage world school chess champion from Peru, striving to develop her talent. The truth is that every piece is valuable. Even a pawn worth only one point can become a great queen. For her whole life, Nieveska Torres has been coached by her father, Genaro. Now he needs her inspiration to fight his battle with cancer. Her progress in chess is helping him recover and get back on his feet. If you die, you have to die fighting. Don't let yourself be easily defeated. That's what I'm doing. Their struggles continue as they seek to raise money to attend the next major tournament, while hoping he stays well enough to travel with her. Daughter and father, encouraging each other to keep advancing one move at a time. The historic center of Peru's capital, Lima. Nieveska is putting her talent on display. Onlookers stop to see if they can beat this 14-year-old at a game of chess. It's incredible! But the odds are against them. They're playing against a world champion. I'm already a FIDE master by winning a championship last year. My next goal is to become an international master and a grandmaster. My other dream is that all children would play chess. And children are among those inspired to take up her challenge. Chess is a thinking sport. That's why people should play it. It helps children in their capacity to think. Let's go! Let's go, Nieveska, let's go! Challengers pay for the privilege of losing. Others buy homemade chocolates, which is the only way the family can raise money to send her to tournaments. The chocolates were her mother Nievesa's idea. Playing chess was her father Genaro's idea. Now he's facing his own battle with cancer. The people of Peru support her. Little by little, she's collecting money. I can't work because I have cancer and I have to take care of myself. I've asked for a bank loan to invest in my daughter, but I'm worried about the future because cancer is treacherous. The Torres family moved from their home in the region of Ica to an outer barrio of the capital Lima, where Genaro teaches high school mathematics. In their basic apartment, Nieveska makes the chocolates. We're making chocolates with peanuts and raisins. She melts the chocolate, fills the molds and packages the pieces, which are branded with her name. Her trophies show her progress in chess, which her father taught her to play. I started chess at about five or six years old, although my father first taught me checkers, then later chess. A funny anecdote I remember was playing with adults. When I beat them, some of them would get angry and throw the chess pieces or storm out, saying, how is it possible for a girl to beat me? Because they had just been roasted and I was only half their size. Five or six years old, just getting started. Nieveska's big chance came when Peru hosted the 2024 FITA World School Chess Championship. Nieveska, then aged 13, entered the under-15 category and she won, becoming a world champion. But her father Genaro was in hospital, being treated for stomach cancer. It was there when they took the photo. I was on the podium in first place with my sign. It said, for you, Papa Genaro. The victory that I won was for him. That news helped me, it lifted me up. Because that month I was depressed like never before, my head was weighed down. I rose up, I recovered my posture and I got motivated. I started dancing. I have a video recorded in hospital showing me dancing when I found out about her triumph. So I felt very happy. I think that has healed me in some way. I have stage 3 cancer, which is very dangerous. I want to be able to live until that moment, when she achieves her aspirations. Like chess pieces, players must develop by leaving their starting square. Nieveska and her father have travelled across the continent to Uruguay, to chase another major title. Today there will be nine rounds of blitz chess. I'll see how I go playing rapidly. The South American youth team is preparing for the World Cup. I'll see how I go playing rapidly. The South American Youth Chess Festival. Nieveska normally plays in all-female categories, but here she's pitted against boys for the opening day of blitz chess. Each player gets three minutes and two seconds on the clock. Nieveska shows she can outwit many of her male counterparts. She wins most of her games. Male chess players are given more encouragement and prize money than females. Only around 2% of the top grandmasters are women. But Nieveska is inspired by Judith Polgar of Hungary, considered the greatest ever female chess player. Of course it's not impossible to beat a male. For example, Judith Polgar is a famous woman who faced Garry Kasparov. She beat him and changed the world. She became a strong trainer for women. Renato believes chess is empowering Nieveska and preparing her for whatever career she chooses. Fight for your life like you fight in chess. Fight for your life with everything. If you die, you have to die fighting. Don't let yourself be easily defeated. That's what I'm doing. After five days of play, Nieveska wins her second major title. Under 14, female South American youth chess champion Weeks later, back in Peru, she's showing her talent by competing against 15 players at the same time. These exhibitions allow new players to meet and learn from a champion. I hope you enjoy this simultaneous game and good luck. The games begin with a handshake. And the same opening move on all boards, white pawn to e4. It's a classic opener, which chess legend Bobby Fischer calls the best by test. She then dominates the center with her strong pieces. She wins all 15 games. For Nieveska, such exhibitions are for the benefit of the students. My next goal is to become a champion. My next goal, apart from playing simultaneous games, when I'm older, is to become an international grandmaster and develop chess in the poor areas of Peru by playing these games, giving talks and teaching the boys and girls. To prepare for tougher games ahead, Nieveska needs to level up. Today, she's playing FIDE master Fabian Ernesto Vivas Zamora in a blitz game. She starts with her favorite opening, pawn to e4. He responds with a Sicilian defense. She makes the first capture of the game, but he's the first to claim a check. The best defense is an attack, so she takes his queen with hers. The high stakes move fails. He checks her again, this time forking her king and queen. She loses her most powerful piece. With seconds on the clock, she mounts a late-game scramble and steadily advances. He sends his last rook to her backline. She could fend off the nuisance, but she's out of time. He's so engrossed, he doesn't even notice his victory via the clock. Fabian has some advice for his young challenger. My advice would be to work on patience and try not to resolve moments of tension so quickly. But to question if you really gain anything from the changes or from resolving a tense situation. I have some resistance, but to last for four hours, I need to take care. What sport do you recommend for building endurance? Any sport that you like. It can be running, or swimming, or cycling, for example. Any sport with aerobic exercises, long duration, and not too high intensity. She needs to be in top form for the Peru National Youth Chess Championship in Lima. 14-year-old Nieveska is challenging herself by playing in the under-18 category. I'm analysing the games of my rival to prepare to play against her. Parents are banned from the competition floor. Renato is also looking on from the stands. There's bad news. Nieveska can't defend her title at the next World School Tournament in Europe because the family cannot afford to travel. Selling chocolates won't cover the cost. It's difficult because there are no resources, there's no support from the state or sponsors. Nieveska has a lot of pressure. Nieveska has made it to the final round in a strong position, but her last opponent has several years more experience, and Nieveska is playing black, putting her at a double disadvantage. Her opponent puts on the pressure, and Nieveska is feeling the heat. Soon, her king is forced into a retreat. With checkmate inevitable, Nieveska concedes the game. She takes the loss, and the bad news, about her European travel plans with good humour. It's a little sad there's no support for the champions, for me or for other young players. But you always have to know how to face things, and not get angry or sad. You always have to be at peace and happy, because another day of life is always good. Having lost in the final, she finishes second. In a category four years above her age. It's been a difficult but rewarding year for both daughter and father. Renato is keeping one move ahead of Cancer, and gaining strength from his daughter's progress. Nieveska is advancing in her chess career, one tournament at a time, learning from her setbacks, and transforming from a small piece into a powerful player. Weeks later, at Lima International Airport, Nieveska is on her way to Europe. Her family has managed to borrow money to send her to defend her title at the next FIDE World School Chess Championship being held in Serbia. And her father Renato is well enough to go with her. I'm really happy that my father can accompany me to this tournament. Considering that I'm a young player, I'm really happy that my father can accompany me to this tournament. Considering what happened with his cancer, which was almost terminal. Despite that, he's always cared for me since I was little. My mother too. Thanks to chess, I've had several opportunities. For example, to develop well in school, to get good grades, to be able to speak. Also to travel to other countries. To learn, to perform well in all I do. And to have a better relationship with my parents and others. Whether or not she wins more titles, Nieveska Torres is developing her chess career together with her father, which is already another great victory for this young champion.

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