Qiyu Zhou: WYCC Champ (history made)

[Garland Best]

Re: Qiyu Zhou: WYCC Champ (history made)

Watch around 5:08:40 in the video to see her being interviewed.

[Garland Best]

Re: Qiyu Zhou: WYCC Champ (history made)

While I'm at it, I want to give a shout out to Adam Adriaanse, who participated in his first WYCC this year. I hope he enjoyed the experience. We look forward to seeing you back at the club.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Qiyu Zhou: WYCC Champ (history made)

Congratulations Qiyu! I always believed that you had this in you. You share the same trait with all of the Canadian world champions that I have met of being a great kid and a wonderful ambassador for the game.

Congratulations to Qiyu! She made history for Canada(older age group world champion), I am wondering if CFC will give her cash prize to reimburse all her expenses in WYCC as she was not the official player of Canada(no free accommodation I assume)?

Qiyu was treated as an official player although she was not the official player.

[John Upper]

Re: Qiyu Zhou: WYCC Champ (history made)

In case it's not on your list, you might send a note to the PMO's Director of Communications...

I tried, but a search for "PMO's Director of Communications" turns up half a dozen names and no links...
and the PMO website gives me links to press releases and tells me how many children each Minister has, but no contact info...

(And if the PMO doesn't think it's worth the effort, try the NDP and Liberals.]

I sent it to Mauril Belanger [LIB] who is the MP for the riding she lives in.

[Gordon Ritchie]

Re: Qiyu Zhou: WYCC Champ (history made)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGD-d_F5HvY[/url]

starts at 3:02:05

- John Upper
editor, Chess Canada

John: it comes in around 5:10 on my computer.

[Jeff Boyd]

Re: Qiyu Zhou: WYCC Champ (history made)

I'm having trouble too. I've only found this so far,

http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/contactpm

which may have such high volume that it won't get a timely response. And what choice of subject from their list ... "sport"?

[Stephen Wright]

Re: Qiyu Zhou: WYCC Champ (history made)

The WYCC is the first major chess event to be held in Africa

Depends on your definition of 'major' I guess, but

2013 - Commonwealth Chess Championship, South Africa
2011 - Commonwealth Chess Championship, South Africa
2004 - FIDE World Championship, Libya
1985 - Tunis Interzonal, Tunisia
1981 - International tournament, Johannesburg (Andersson, Korchnoi, Hübner, Nunn)
1979 - International tournament, Johannesburg (Korchnoi, Unzicker, Miles, Lein)
1967 - Sousse Interzonal, Tunisia

[Gordon Ritchie]

Re: Qiyu Zhou: WYCC Champ (history made)

Three cheers plus a tiger for Qiyu Zhou! A wonderful achievement.
Qiyu is obviously extremely talented and dedicated but she would be the first to agree that we should give a very special thanks to her Mum and Dad, Penny and Jehan, who have been such tremendous supporters at great personal cost in time and money.
I recall when she was around 9 years old and played in a simul against the great Nigel Short. Hers was the last game to finish as she ultimately lost in a grueling endgame. Nigel was very complimentary at the time. As he and I drove out of the parking lot we encountered Qiyu with her Mum, Penny, who in answer to a query from Nigel pretended that Qiyu was actually Hou Yifan's cousin. "Bloody Hell," quoth Nigel, "Just my luck." It took some time for Penny to convince him that she was just joking. Nigel's closing comment was: "Time will tell if she is another Hou Yifan but she is certainly very promising indeed."
Again, warmest congratulations to Qiyu and her family. A great achievement against tall odds.

[John Upper]

Re: Qiyu Zhou: WYCC Champ (history made)

John: it comes in around 5:10 on my computer.

It must have changed during the broadcast.

The video on the WYCC homepage now has her interview starting at 5:08; and the YouTube one won't allow me to scroll forward at all

[George Zhou]

Re: Qiyu Zhou: WYCC Champ (history made)

In 2012 Jason Cao won the U10 championship in Maribor, Slovenia.
- John Upper
editor, Chess Canada

still not correct, Jason won 2010, not 2012 I believe

[George Zhou]

Re: Qiyu Zhou: WYCC Champ (history made)

Qiyu was treated as an official player although she was not the official player.

Vlad, you must be proud of your support for her. You are the happiest CFC president as you have a World Champion every year during your presidency.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Qiyu Zhou: WYCC Champ (history made)

Vlad, you must be proud of your support for her. You are the happiest CFC president as you have a World Champion every year during your presidency.

I certainly can't take credit for that. We can thank two remarkable young ladies and their parents for that happy circumstance. I think Jason Cao opened the flood gates in showing what was possible and everything after that has been the case of Canadian players playing up to their potential. I had a good feeling about Qiyu before she even left to play as did the entire executive.

[John Upper]

Re: Qiyu Zhou: WYCC Champ (history made)

I'm having trouble too. I've only found this so far,

http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/contactpm

which may have such high volume that it won't get a timely response. And what choice of subject from their list ... "sport"?

I figured that one would go straight to the trash bin or the RCMP "watch" list.
I'm not prepared to spend more time trying to get the PMO to listen.

If anyone else wants to cut-n-paste my press release summary to anyone, be my guest.

I've already sent it to:

• the Canadianpress
• CBC News (and got two rejected emails)
• Ottawa Citizen (one reply and request for more info)
• Ottawa Sun
• Globe and Mail
• the Mayor of Ottawa
• and Qiyu's MP.

[Garland Best]

Re: Qiyu Zhou: WYCC Champ (history made)

Don't forget CTV. I called CJOH here in Ottawa and let them know, as well as the local news radio station CFRA.

[John Upper]

Re: Qiyu Zhou: WYCC Champ (history made)

Don't forget CTV. I called CJOH here in Ottawa and let them know, as well as the local news radio station CFRA.

CTV: done.