Deih, Tou

Tou was born in Myanmar (Burma), and emigrated to the United States in 2007 at the age of twenty-two. At the age of thirty-four, Tou taught himself how to play chess by watching videos. From early on, Tou showed remarkable aptitude for the game. Shortly thereafter, he began to take his chess set with him to play in public at various locations throughout Milwaukee, such as Milwaukee Area Technical College, The University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, and Bradford Beach. Over time, thousands of people came to know and recognize Tou, as he became a street chess icon in Milwaukee. He won at the Annual MLK Center Tournament, was a finalist in the Garfield 502 Tournament, and placed second in the MKE Chess Winter Rapids. Tou enjoys the social aspect and community building that chess inspires. According to Tou, "if you want to improve and get better in chess, keep practicing over and over again. Then you'll get better and stronger."