When Waverly's brother, Vincent, receives a used chess set as a Christmas gift from the local church, she immediately becomes fascinated with the game and cannot stop watching her brothers play chess all weekend long. Waverly mentions that the chessboard seemed to "hold elaborate secrets waiting to be untangled." Waverly also mentions that the local chessmen in her neighborhood were extremely powerful, and she desires to attain their knowledge of the fascinating, mysterious game. She begins studying the game of chess for hours by reading rule books and tutorials she finds in the Chinatown library.

Waverly is then fortunate enough to discover a mentor in Lau Po, who is a talented local chess player. Lau Po teaches her different strategies and secrets to defeat her opponents. Waverly trains extensively with Lau Po, learning effective moves and significantly improving her skill. In addition to the intellectual challenge of playing chess, Waverly is also attracted to the competitive aspect of the game. During her first tournament match, she utilizes the art of invisible strength and is able to defeat her opponent. She is also able to lose herself in the game, and the experience of unlocking the chessboard's secrets is another reason as to why she enjoys playing chess so much.