Canadian Chess Challenge now underway!

[Larry Bevand]

The 21st Canadian Chess Challenge just got underway in Toronto.

Results are posted live at:

http://www.chess.nl.ca/year/2008+200...ish/index.html

[Felix Dumont]

Re : Canadian Chess Challenge now underway!

A surprise in the third round, the British Columbia defeats the Ontario!

[Larry Bevand]

Re: Re : Canadian Chess Challenge now underway!

A surprise in the third round, the British Columbia defeats the Ontario!

Round 3 was the first turning point of the event when B.C. upset Ontario. All of a sudden, this event which Ontario has dominated for the last 15 years, was open to B.C. and Quebec.

Round 5 saw Quebec play B.C. That resulted in a clear win for Quebec and they then went on to the 6th round as the only undefeated team...but they still had Ontario to face in the last round.

Going into the last round, Quebec was up 5 game points so they only needed 3.5 out of 12 to tie with Ontario and 4 points would win the championship. In otherwords, they could lose to Ontario and still win the tournament. The match between the two was intense. Ontario scored the first point in grade 2...then they chalked up a 2nd point and then...a third...yikes...Ontario 3 Quebec 0...would Ontario pull this off for the 12th consecutive year?

Quebec came back....and when I looked up at the scoreboard...they had won the event...as the score against Ontario was now 5.5 - 5.5...with 1 game to go. It was grade 12. Ling Feng Ye would have to win his game in order for Quebec to beat Ontario...something this young man been dreaming about for years.....he came through in the crunch and Quebec defeated Ontario by the closest of scores...6.5 - 5.5.

B.C. lost to Alberta in the last round by the score of 6.5 - 5.5 which forced them to settle for third place.

IT WAS A TOTALLY EXCITING EVENT!

Quebec has been working hard to recapture the crown. Cudos to the team Captain FIDE Master Lefong Hua. He was Canadian Champion in Grade 1. Today as the Quebec Team Captain he spends many hours with promising young players to improve the results of the the Quebec team. Today was a glorious day for him and his team.

A special thanks to former Chess Challenge participant and champion, Grandmaster Mark Bluvshtein who showed up for the last round. Hegave out the trophies and made a very nice speech. Thanks Mark for being such a class act. If all Chess Challenge participants turn out like you and Lefong, Canada will have much to be proud of!

Larry Bevand

[Larry Bevand]

Re: Re : Canadian Chess Challenge now underway!

Pictures from the event, taken by a Quebec parent, can be found at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38760591@N03/show/

Also See
http://picasaweb.google.ca/hgsleclair/CCC2009#slideshow

[Zeljko Kitich]

Re: Canadian Chess Challenge now underway!

Looks like a very colourful event. I don't see a flag for Nunavut.

[Larry Bevand]

Re: Canadian Chess Challenge now underway!

Looks like a very colourful event. I don't see a flag for Nunavut.

Hi Zeljko,

I have been to many chess events (in Canada, the U.S. and on the international scene...including the Chess Olympiad in 1984 (Greece) and 1986 (Dubai, UAE) as well as a WYCC (Greece) in 2003 I believe - and honestly the Canadian Chess Challenge is one of the greatest annual visual chess events around. Provinces enter the playing hall one at a time...grade 12 down to grade 1...with the grade 12 player carrying the provincial flag....with a bagpiper at the front of the pack. This is followed by the singing of our National Anthem and at the beginning of each game, players exchange provincial pins and shake hands.

And much much more! Like top provincial T-Shirt contest with cash prizes...an award for the top Atlantic province....

As we are playing grade against grade and province against province....as far as I know Nunavut is not a province but a territory...at least for the time being.

Larry

[Zeljko Kitich]

Re: Canadian Chess Challenge now underway!

great, great stuff Larry

you're right about Nunavut & NWT I forget they are territories

but if you can have a flag from a 'have not' province like Ontario :)

[Bob Armstrong]

Re: Canadian Chess Challenge now underway!

Hi Zeljko:

Don't forget about not including the Yukon Territory !

Bob

[Zeljko Kitich]

Re: Canadian Chess Challenge now underway!

darn it, forgot Pierre Berton's home territory :(