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On Saturday, May 27 in Kingston, Ted Hsu, who is currently serving as MPP for Kingston and the Islands in the Ontario legislature, announced his bid to lead the Ontario Liberal Party.
Ted was elected to this position a year ago, and had served as federal MP for Kingston and the Islands from 2011 to 2015, winning an award as Parliamentarian of the Year from Maclean's magazine, during that term. He stepped down in 2015, not seeking re-election.
Ted, multi-talented to say the least, is also a chess player of significant experience and strength, since his teen years, growing up in Kingston in the 1970s, when he played in the Kingston Junior Chess Club, managed by Kalev Pugi, CFC President during those years. Ted played regularly, and very well, at the Kingston Chess Club during the past few years. He played in the 2019 Zonal Championship / Easter Festival in Kingston, organized so well by IA / IO Arius Marghetis, making a good score. He had earned a CFC rating nearing 1900, more than 20 years ago, before taking an extended break from competitive chess.
With an undergraduate degree in physics from Queen's University, and a doctorate in physics from Princeton University, Ted is among the smartest people in the room, in any room in Canada. Yet, he is an easy-going person who has time for everyone, and does not project his ego to any significant or offensive degree. Always very polite and considerate in his speech, in any setting.
Although I am not a Liberal Party member or supporter, I have just donated $50 to his leadership campaign. That is on a friendship basis, and also because I believe he would be an excellent leader, at this or any other time. The contest will be decided later this year.
I urge other chess players to think seriously about making a financial contribution to Ted's campaign. Canadian chess may never have a better chance for such a high-profile political person to represent the game we all love!!
Put simply, Ted is among the most impressive people I have ever met, and I have met quite a few!!
So far as I know, Ted is the first Canadian chess player to bid to lead a provincial political party.
I am sharing an excellent game by Ted, where he plays wonderfully well to defeat me.
Frank Dixon (3.5/5) -- Dr. Ted Hsu (3.5/5)
Kingston 2019, played October 28
James Cairns Memorial (rd. 6 of 6)
TD: Jake Van Rooy, Org.: Kingston Chess Club
Time control: G/60' +30"
Clock times in brackets
Reti vs. Lasker, A07
Not CFC-rated
Notes by Frank Dixon
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 Bf5 4.O-O e6 5.c4 c6
[Ted has a very narrow opening repertoire, well worked out. As White he plays the London System, the reverse of which he plays here. Against 1.e4, the French. Against 1.d4, the Slav / Semi-Slav (he defeated NM Chris Pace at KCC on the Black site of this). That set of lines avoids about 90 per cent of my opening knowledge, including my line in the Black Knights' Tango!]
6.b3 Be7 7.Bb2 Nbd7 8.d3 h6 9.Nbd2 O-O 10.Re1 Bh7 11.e4 dxe4 12.dxe4 Nc5! (2,4)
[I think Black is already at least equal, if not a bit better. The d3 square is very inviting for Black.]
13.Ne5 Nd3! 14.Nxd3 Qxd3 15.Re3 Qd8 16.Qe2 a5 (6,15)
[White's position does not coordinate well, with his Queen and R/e3 awkwardly placed. White has to advance his f-pawn to untangle, creating opportunities for Black, which he exploits very well.]
17.Kh1 Qb6! 18.e5 Nd7 19.f4 Rfd8! (16,17)
[By this time I was feeling a bit better about my position, with what I figured was a space advantage and Kingside attacking chances. But this turns out to be unwarranted, as Ted shows precisely.]
20.Be4?
[Bad. Perhaps 20.g4, retaining some options, is better,]
20...Nc5! 21.Bxh7+ Kxh7 22.g4 Rd7! 23.Rh3
[I had dreams of mating with my Queen, rook, and g-pawn. Ted shows he is actually the one with the more dangerous chances.]
23...Rad8! 24.Ne4 Nxe4 25.Qxe4+ Kg8 (35,27)
[Now Ted finishes me off, with no chances.]
26.g5 Rd1+! 27.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 28.Kg2 Qg1+ 29.Kf3 Rf1+, 0-1. (39,30).
[Bravo, Ted!! He has another win over me in a long game; I have a win and a draw with him at G/30'.]
Ted was elected to this position a year ago, and had served as federal MP for Kingston and the Islands from 2011 to 2015, winning an award as Parliamentarian of the Year from Maclean's magazine, during that term. He stepped down in 2015, not seeking re-election.
Ted, multi-talented to say the least, is also a chess player of significant experience and strength, since his teen years, growing up in Kingston in the 1970s, when he played in the Kingston Junior Chess Club, managed by Kalev Pugi, CFC President during those years. Ted played regularly, and very well, at the Kingston Chess Club during the past few years. He played in the 2019 Zonal Championship / Easter Festival in Kingston, organized so well by IA / IO Arius Marghetis, making a good score. He had earned a CFC rating nearing 1900, more than 20 years ago, before taking an extended break from competitive chess.
With an undergraduate degree in physics from Queen's University, and a doctorate in physics from Princeton University, Ted is among the smartest people in the room, in any room in Canada. Yet, he is an easy-going person who has time for everyone, and does not project his ego to any significant or offensive degree. Always very polite and considerate in his speech, in any setting.
Although I am not a Liberal Party member or supporter, I have just donated $50 to his leadership campaign. That is on a friendship basis, and also because I believe he would be an excellent leader, at this or any other time. The contest will be decided later this year.
I urge other chess players to think seriously about making a financial contribution to Ted's campaign. Canadian chess may never have a better chance for such a high-profile political person to represent the game we all love!!
Put simply, Ted is among the most impressive people I have ever met, and I have met quite a few!!
So far as I know, Ted is the first Canadian chess player to bid to lead a provincial political party.
I am sharing an excellent game by Ted, where he plays wonderfully well to defeat me.
Frank Dixon (3.5/5) -- Dr. Ted Hsu (3.5/5)
Kingston 2019, played October 28
James Cairns Memorial (rd. 6 of 6)
TD: Jake Van Rooy, Org.: Kingston Chess Club
Time control: G/60' +30"
Clock times in brackets
Reti vs. Lasker, A07
Not CFC-rated
Notes by Frank Dixon
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 Bf5 4.O-O e6 5.c4 c6
[Ted has a very narrow opening repertoire, well worked out. As White he plays the London System, the reverse of which he plays here. Against 1.e4, the French. Against 1.d4, the Slav / Semi-Slav (he defeated NM Chris Pace at KCC on the Black site of this). That set of lines avoids about 90 per cent of my opening knowledge, including my line in the Black Knights' Tango!]
6.b3 Be7 7.Bb2 Nbd7 8.d3 h6 9.Nbd2 O-O 10.Re1 Bh7 11.e4 dxe4 12.dxe4 Nc5! (2,4)
[I think Black is already at least equal, if not a bit better. The d3 square is very inviting for Black.]
13.Ne5 Nd3! 14.Nxd3 Qxd3 15.Re3 Qd8 16.Qe2 a5 (6,15)
[White's position does not coordinate well, with his Queen and R/e3 awkwardly placed. White has to advance his f-pawn to untangle, creating opportunities for Black, which he exploits very well.]
17.Kh1 Qb6! 18.e5 Nd7 19.f4 Rfd8! (16,17)
[By this time I was feeling a bit better about my position, with what I figured was a space advantage and Kingside attacking chances. But this turns out to be unwarranted, as Ted shows precisely.]
20.Be4?
[Bad. Perhaps 20.g4, retaining some options, is better,]
20...Nc5! 21.Bxh7+ Kxh7 22.g4 Rd7! 23.Rh3
[I had dreams of mating with my Queen, rook, and g-pawn. Ted shows he is actually the one with the more dangerous chances.]
23...Rad8! 24.Ne4 Nxe4 25.Qxe4+ Kg8 (35,27)
[Now Ted finishes me off, with no chances.]
26.g5 Rd1+! 27.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 28.Kg2 Qg1+ 29.Kf3 Rf1+, 0-1. (39,30).
[Bravo, Ted!! He has another win over me in a long game; I have a win and a draw with him at G/30'.]
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