Players head to ‘Canadian Chess Challenge’

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This article was published 19/03/2024 (691 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Four students from the Brandon Chess Club emerged victorious in their respective age groups at the Manitoba Provincial Chess Championships in Winnipeg on Sunday.

The students will represent their grades at the National Scholastic Tournament, known as the Canadian Chess Challenge, in Moncton, N.B., in May.

The winners are Danil Buzhor, a Grade 12 student from Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School; Martin Requelme, a Grade 11 student from Vincent Massey High School; Cole Simpson, a Grade 9 student from École secondaire Neelin High School; and Zach Lee, a Grade 2 champion from the Brandon Chess Club who lives in Winnipeg.

The provincial championships are organized by the Manitoba Scholastic Chess Association.

Buzhor attributes his achievement to being prepared.

“I’m happy that I took this place and my preparations since last summer when I started playing chess paid off,” he told the Sun. “I was drawn to the competitive aspect of the game. I enjoy understanding my opponent’s strategies and devising counter-strategies.”

Chess, he said, offers a myriad of possibilities, and each game presents a new challenge to overcome.

Requelme said he is battle-ready to defeat whoever faces him at the nationals, just as he did last year.

“I won nationals last year, so technically, I’m defending my title and it’s going to be exciting,” he said. “I’ve been playing chess since I was five years old and over the years, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for the strategic intricacies of the game.”

While openings can be memorized, he noted, the middle game is where the true battle begins, and where the player’s skill is truly tested.

Simpson said it feels good to be a champion. “It was hard to make it here. I’ve been playing chess for about a year and a half, and this is my first major tournament.”

Chess is unlike any other game, Simpson said, adding the endless possibilities and the constant need for strategic thinking keep him engaged and motivated. “While I’ve only been playing for a relatively short time, I’ve already learned so much, and I’m eager to continue improving.”

Simpson’s father, Trevor, expressed pride in his son’s achievements and reflected on Cole’s journey into chess.

“He got interested in it during COVID and it was something that he could do that he was interested in,” he told the Sun. “He’s a sporty kid that played junior varsity basketball and some track and field games, but stops to make sure he plays chess.”

Simpson expressed enthusiasm about the competition, saying, “I think this is fantastic. Chess is probably the best sport that exists if you consider things like learning discipline or strategy, patience and teamwork, and I look forward to him winning.”

While Simpson and his wife Michelle have supported Cole’s chess playing and helped out by driving him to tournaments in Winnipeg, he acknowledged the pivotal role of Dr. Gilbert Perez in nurturing Cole’s passion for chess.

Perez, organizer of the Brandon Knights Chess Club, commended the dedication of the students and their parents, noting the rigorous training and preparation leading up to the tournament.

“We meet every Wednesday at Chez Angela and on Saturday in the library downtown,” he told the Sun. “Sometimes, after the one o’clock session, we head to the food court at Shoppers Mall to play until five o’clock because training for two hours is not enough.”

The retired doctor — the only Canadian to compete in the 2021 World Chess Championship for People with Disabilities — said he had organized several tournaments for the students since September and expected them to become champions in the May national tournaments.

Manitoba Scholastic Chess Association provincial coordinator Jeremie Piche said all participants will play against the provincial winners from their grades to determine the national champion in Canada.

“This competition is distinct from other national chess tournaments because it allows each province in Canada to be represented, instead of regional representation based on population size, and it is a scholastic competition and is played strictly by grade not age,” Piche told the Sun in an email.

The Canadian Chess Challenge has been an annual event in Canada since it first began in 1989, he said, noting it has grown into a prestigious tournament that many students across Canada make it their goal to qualify for.

“Qualifying for the national event and winning a national scholastic championship requires many hours of study, coaching and, of course, lots of chess tournament play,” he said. “The growth of students who participate at other chess tournaments run by associations and clubs both in Brandon and the Manitoba Chess Association in Winnipeg, and nationally as the competition to become a National Chess Champion, has produced some international masters and even an occasional grand master.”

With their talent and determination, Perez said, the Brandon Chess Club competitors “are poised to make their mark on the national stage, representing not only Brandon but the spirit of excellence in Canadian scholastic chess.”

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