It was a surreal sight Saturday afternoon at the Brookswood Seniors Centre: a man in his 30s sitting across a table from a boy who looks like he鈥檚 barely into elementary school.
The older player鈥檚 hands are clasped on his forehead; he鈥檚 staring pensively at the chess pieces in front of him, pondering his next move.
With chess, age has no boundaries.
And at the 10th annual 91原创 Open, held over the Labour Day long weekend, ability, not years, dictates who plays whom.
PHOTO: (Troy Landreville/91原创 Advance) Tournament winner Tanraj Sohal pondered his next move.
Fifty-two players ranging in age from seven to 80-plus tested their abilities from Sept. 5 to 7, a healthy turnout but not quite a record: in 2012, 60 chess players took part.
91原创 Chess Club president Hugh Long has been playing the game for 57 years and admitted he鈥檚 鈥渟cared to death鈥� to play against the little ones.
鈥淭hey are amazing, absolutely amazing,鈥� Long said. 鈥淎 lot of them are coached by master strength players and they do their homework, and almost 30 moves deep, they know their opening, so when I play a kid, I try to get them out of the opening.鈥�
Tournament director Brian Davidson said chess is 鈥渢he great equalizer鈥� when it comes to age.
The 91原创 Open consisted of six rounds, wrapped up on Labour Day Monday.
Among the higher profile pre-registered players was Tanraj Sohal from Surrey, who captured the first prize of $550.
Daniel Wang, who won the biggest upset prize of $50, is only seven years old.
This event determined the final qualifier for the B.C. Closed Championship taking place in Surrey over the Thanksgiving weekend, and will award a provincial champion.
PHOTO: Patrick Huang travelled from Victoria to compete. (Troy Landreville/91原创 Advance)
The last qualifier for the provincials is James Chan, who took second at the 91原创 Open.
The tournament also had several players from northern B.C. and a couple Americans, Ray Kaufman and H.G. Pitre.
PHOTO: The 91原创 Open chess tournament pitted men against boys, in some cases. (Troy Landreville/91原创 Advance)
About the club
The 91原创 Chess Club meets on Mondays at 7 p.m. at the Brookswood Seniors Centre, 19899 36th Ave. For more on the 91原创 Chess Club, visit langleychess.com.
PHOTO: Troy Landreville/91原创 Advance) The 10th annual 91原创 Open chess tournament ran from Sept. 5 to 7.
