Unseasonably warm weather didn’t stop chess enthusiasts from heading indoors Saturday for the first ever Lake City Chess Open.
Held at the Williams Lake Library, the chess tournament drew 26 competitors from ages eight to 92 years old who took part in either the open or casual section.
“It went well –– I’ll get more sleep next year and enjoy it more,” said organizer Scott Richardson.
Richardson and his wife, Aki Yamamoto, pulled together the event on behalf of the Lake City Chess Club, which meets every Wednesday from 3 to 5 p.m. at the library.
Richardson said the couple learned how to host a chess tournament from attending several competitions with their 12-year-old son Kai, a chess competitor who is currently ranked fourth in B.C. in his age class and 12th in Canada.
In fact, entertainment for the tournament lunch break included a simul exhibition where Kai played 10 players at one time.
Kai won versus all 10 players and then went on to place first in the tournament.
His dad said he wins about 80 per cent of the games he plays, and is often practising and trying out new strategies.
“He’s a little too smart,” joked his dad of son Kai.
“We have to watch him.”
At the tournament, the open section attracted the more serious players who played by the clock and had to write down all their moves.
Richardson said documenting moves is necessary if there is a draw and they need to look back to make sure all the moves were legal, and is also good for the players to learn from.
Many prizes were handed out to the top players, including five portable tournament chess sets donated by Kai’s public homeschool program to add to the already 10 boards and sets supplied to Kai to host tournaments, simuls and lessons.
The results from the tournament are as follows:
Open
1.) Kai Richardson (6-0-0)
2.) Robert Hamm (4-1-1)
3.) Ken Freed (3-2-1)
4.) Rejean O’Dwyer (3-0-2)
5.) Warren Nyack (3-0-3)
6.) Ben Shoults (3-0-3)
7.) Ken Mitchell (2-1-3)
8.) Glen Burrill (2-0-4)
9.) Hugh Ragan (1-0-5)
10.) Richard Williams (0-0-6)
Casual
1.) George Cooper (five points)
2.) Aldyn Monk-Young (five points)
3.) Jareth Freed (four points)
4.) Flynn Wells (four points)
5.) Chase Grannon (four points)
6.) Ashlar Silver (three points)
7.) Timmu Kruus (two-and-a-half points)
8.) Shawna Sutherland (two-and-a-half points)
9.) Marion Corless (one-and-a-half points and oldest competitor at 92 years young)
10.) Quentin Siver (one point)
11.) Liam Wells (half a point)
12.) Andrew Haseldine (no points)
13.) Phillip Brown (no points)
14.) Eric Haseldine (no points)