Winston Chan ‘25 traveled to Japan over Christmas break to compete in the World Abacus Classic – a math competition where students use an abacus, an ancestor of the modern-day calculator that uses slidable beads along a series of wires. Winston placed first in North America and 9th in the world. Eighty students of all ages from North America, Asia, the United Kingdom and Brazil qualified for the World Abacus Classic through a series of exams.
The competition consisted of a 3-minute round of 50 questions and an oral dictation round where an emcee read multiplication, division or subtraction problems aloud – some of them in the quadrillions – for participants to solve.
Winston has been competing at the national abacus level since age 7, but this was his first world competition. The eight students who placed above him were all from Japan, where the abacus is still a common teaching tool. “I was so inspired by their work ethic,” said Winston.
Winston fell in love with the abacus at age 4 at a neighborhood fair.
“I was enamored by the beads, the pattern of them, and the clicking sound they made,” he said.
Fortuitously, there was an abacus school five minutes from Winston’s house. He began studying there at age 5, progressing steadily through levels of training and competition. Winston uses a soroban, a Japanese abacus, which has a slightly different bead arrangement than a regular abacus.
“Now my brain is wired differently,” Winston said. “Anytime I see a number, my brain translates it to the beads on an abacus.”
There are 26 levels in abacus and anzan (mental math). Dan 10 is the highest level. Winston is currently a Dan 10 Anzan (mental math) and a Dan 8 Abacus – the only student in North America who has reached that level on the abacus.
“His work with the abacus has given Winston an extraordinary ability to calculate rapidly and accurately,” said Dr. John Gorman, one of Winston’s math teachers at Jesuit High School. Winston has taken every advanced mathematics course offered at Jesuit. “His calculation skills complement his mastery of the abstract concepts of higher mathematics,” said Dr. Gorman. “What I appreciate most about Winston is his kindness and desire to contribute in a positive way to his classroom community.”
Beyond competing, Winston has found ways to share his passion. Inspired by his abacus teacher, whose parents are blind, Winston volunteered at the Washington State School for the Blind in 2023, organizing “Abacus Bee” events. He also introduced the abacus to residents at Avamere, a senior living community where he volunteers, as a tool to enhance cognitive skills. Winston has volunteered at Avamere since 2023, and in 2024, he received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, an initiative of AmeriCorps and administered by Points of Light, for serving 250-plus hours.
Looking ahead, Winston hopes to continue teaching visually impaired individuals how to use the abacus for calculations when he goes to college, possibly through Zoom or other digital platforms.
Congratulations, Winston, on this remarkable achievement and for using your talents to make a positive impact in your community!