Langley Chess Club

NEWS

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2009 Langley Chess Club Labour Day Open Results

Thirty-nine chess players spent their Labour Day long weekend enjoying 6 fiercely fought rounds. At the end, a new champion(s) emerged. Congratulations to Sean McLaren and Daniel E. Salcedo, our 2009 Langley Chess Club Labour Day Open Co-Champions! Sean and Daniel scored an impressive 5.0/6 games and won $400 each.

Congratulations also to BC Junior Champion, Tanraj Sohal, winning 3rd place ($200) with 4.5/6 games and Savvas Kyriakides for winning the Top Class A Player prize ($200) beating last year’s Langley Chess Club Labour Day Champion, Brian McLaren, in the last round to also score 4.5/6 games.

Two other junior players won their respective class categories: Yiming Han (4.0/6 games) won the Top Class B Player prize ($200) and Jonah Lee (3.5/6 games) won the Class C Player prize ($200). Romeo Ranile won the Top Unrated Player prize ($111) with 3.5/6 games.

Even though the majority of players hailed from the Lower Mainland, we were pleased to welcome players coming from a variety of areas like Victoria (including BCCF President, Roger Patterson), Nanaimo, Vernon, Falkland, Abbotsford, Williams Lake, Coldstream, and Salmon Arm. Special mention to visiting New Mexico resident, Alexander Kornienkoc.

Thank you to the tireless efforts of the Langley Chess Club members for making this event possible year after year:
TDs: Eugenio Alonso Campos and Sean McLaren (not an easy task to TD and play at the same time!)
Organizer: Hugh Long
Pairings/Standings: Lara Lo
Game Recorder: Lynn Stringer
Webmaster/Tournament Promoter: Savvas Kyriakides savvyk.com
Set up/Clean up Crew: Brian Davidson, Brian Sullivan, Michael Lo, and Victoria Jung-Doknjas

Finally, thank you to the following for agreeing to share their games.

See everyone next year, same place during the same Labour Day long weekend.

McLaren, Brian - Davidson, Brian
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 e6 4.d4 b6 5.0–0 Bb7 6.c4 d5 7.Nbd2 Be7 8.b3 0–0 9.Bb2 Rb8 10.Rc1 h6 11.a3 Re8 12.Rc2 Qd7 13.Qa1 Na5 14.Ne5 Qd8 15.b4 Nxc4 16.Ndxc4 dxc4 17.Nc6 Bxc6 18.Bxc6 Rf8 19.Rxc4 b5 20.Rc2 a6 21.Qc1 Qc8 22.e4 Bd8 23.Qf4 Nh7 24.h4 Rb6 25.Bc1 Kh8 26.Be3 g5 27.hxg5 Bxg5 28.Qf3 Bxe3 29.Qxe3 Kg7 30.Kg2 Qd8 31.Rh1 Qf6 32.e5 Qg5 33.f4 Rxc6 34.Rxc6 Qd8 35.Rc5 f5 36.Rd1 Rf7 37.d5 Rd7 38.d6 cxd6 39.exd6 Nf6 40.Qxe6 Qa8+ 41.Rdd5 Nxd5 42.Qxd7+ Kg6 43.Qc6 Ne3+ 44.Kf3 1–0

Ranile, Romeo - Leblanc, Paul
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Bd3 Bxd3 5.Qxd3 e6 6.Ne2 Nd7 7.Be3 Ne7 8.Ng3 c5 9.c3 Nc6 10.a3 Be7 11.f4 g6 12.Nd2 Rc8 13.0–0 0–0 14.Ne2 c4 15.Qc2 b5 16.Kh1 a5 17.g4 Qb6 18.Rf3 Qb7 19.Raf1 f5 20.Rg1 b4 21.axb4 axb4 22.gxf5 exf5 23.Ng3 Kh8 24.Ne2 Ra8 25.Rh3 Rg8 26.Bf2 Ra2 27.Rb1 Rga8 28.Qc1 Nf8 29.Qg1 bxc3 30.bxc3 Rb2 31.Rd1 Raa2 32.Be3 Na5 33.Nc1 Ra1 34.Rf3 Ra3 35.Ne2 Nb3 36.Qe1 Raa2 37.Nc1 Nxc1 38.Rxc1 Bd8 39.Ra1 Qa6 40.Rf1 Qa3 41.Rxa2 Qxa2 42.Nf3 Re2 43.Qc1 Rc2 44.Qe1 ½–½

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Checkmate, brother

Sibling rivalry takes to the chess board

Alan Campbell, Special to Surrey Now Published: Tuesday, April 29, 2008

John Doknjas, left, challenges brother Joshua to a game of chess as their principal Vanessa Jaggi watches. Photograph by : Alan Campbell/For the Now

Joshua jas swivelled playfully round and round on his school principal's office chair.

He paused, momentarily, to draw attention to his Spider Man T-shirt, before his wide-eyed gaze is diverted to brother, John, sitting right next to him.

John was out of breath, fresh from recess in the school yard, most likely from playing soccer or on the monkey bars.

The pair nudged each other under the table and argued over nothing much - just like any other young siblings.

On the surface Joshua, five, and John, eight, appear to be your average brothers.

But the production of a portable chess board and pieces from their mom Victoria's bag changed everything. An air of anticipation immediately surrounded the boys.

Within a few seconds the eager pair had arranged the board and slid into their seats. Their childlike mannerisms were replaced by intense concentration as the game began.

Joshua is the provincial and Fraser Valley chess champion, while John is also Fraser Valley's best, finished third nationally and regularly beats adults members at his Langley Chess Club.

There is nothing average about the Doknjas brothers. John has been playing chess since he asked his parents, Victoria and Dave, to teach him four years ago.

At the tender age of eight, his dad can no longer beat him at chess, while his mom gives him a run for his money.

"I prefer to play against the older people as I think I get better at chess," John said.

John also toys with the grown-ups at his chess club, where he's taken out the president and the treasurer among others.

"I've been playing for 50 years and he's beaten me and other adults here," said Hugh Long, club president. "I've never seem anyone with his ability though in all my years and I can see him being a top player in no time at all."

However, it may not be the adults that John need worry about. He maybe should be looking over his shoulder at younger brother Joshua.

He's already the best kindergarten player in B.C. and lets his big bro know about it.

"I beat (John) once," Joshua said, "He's hard to play against though. He's good."

It's an act of victory that John is very quick to qualify when hearing Joshua's claims.

"Yeah, once in about a million games," John said.

And it might not be long before the Fraser Heights family's youngest, Neil, three, reaches from his stroller for a knight or queen.

"Dave and I are very proud of the boys," mom said. "The main thing at the moment is having them in all kinds of different activities and letting them choose what they like.

"But they seemed to take to chess the most. Maybe it's because it's a game that can involve all of the family."

© Surrey Now 2008