Rooty Hill Chess Club - UPDATED

Rooty Hill Chess Club, in Sydney, is in the local news. This also comes with a bit of chess wisdom or two.

THE best rule to follow when playing chess is to learn when to break the rules and only ever plan one move ahead.

You just never know what your opposition’s next move might be.

Ken Macgillivray, 79, of Cambridge Park, has played chess for 60 years. He is a member of Rooty Hill Chess Club.

He started at 19, surrounded by co-workers who spent their lunchbreak playing.

More in Rooty Hill Chess Club has all the right moves.

UPDATE (2 Dec): Well, as you saw in the comments, the club is in trouble. In fact, I also separately received the same info from Peter Parr who said that Rooty Hill CC is being asked to cough up $400 for use of their club rooms, for the evening each weeknight! Tough times are hitting the host club, but very sadly, it looks like the subsidiary clubs, like the chess guys, are copping the brunt.

Back in Sydney

After about an hour's delay at the HK airport, I finally made it back to Sydney yesterday afternoon. Apparently there was some problem with the navigation software. If it was any other airline I'd have been terribly upset, but Cathay's very comfortable fishbone seating configuration and attentive service quickly made up.

If you've not been to HK, then now's the best time to head over, particularly those taking Aussie Dollars. At today's rates, HK is cheap! There are, of course, all the usual places to see and do, but my tips are Lan Kwai Fong, Ladies Market and for those looking to snap a cheap lappy or DSLR, the Wan Chai Computer Centre.

As for accomodation, then it's hard go wrong with the Lanson Place, in Causeway Bay; it's a newish "boutiquee" sort of joint that's right in the middle of everything. And after a hard day's work you can pop over to Brecht's, a small bar just a stone's throw away from the Lanson. The joint seats only about 15 people, perfect for a quiet drink.

And, yes (just to add a chessic content to this post), I did manage to visit the HK Chess Club last Monday. Due to renovations at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium, their usual venue, the club is temporarily housed in the Sai Wan Ho Sports Centre which is located just above the Sai Wan Ho underground on the Island line. (By the way, the best way to get around HK is via the underground, the MTR. Get yourself an Octopus card; you'll save you a small fortune with that).

I must agree with Shaun: it's basically like most other clubs. For some reason, I was expecting mahogany-covered walls. There was none of that. Also, their membership seemed to be about 70%+ juniors, mostly locals but there were a few foreigners, including one Pinoy expat. Unfortunately for me, that night of my visit was round 4 (or was it 5) of the HK championships. So I couldn't get a game until just before I was due to leave. I played some kid who didn't like lightning! That was kind of strange.

Anyway, I'm back so regular programming should commence shortly. Our first regular report will be on today's Teams Challenge tournament.

Old Boy Chess Club

So today I was at a Newtown poker joint to catch up with a friend of mine. He's sort of just an above average player chess-wise, but there they call this guy, "Vassily". Grandmaster Vassily to be exact.

Surrounded by gamblers, our wily friend Vassily once suckered a near total beginner into a $200-a-game bet. As you might expect, Vassily cleaned up!


Anyway, we're walking up King St when, suddenly, Vassily tells me about a special kind of chess club that holds their meets on the first Thursday of each month somewhere in Newtown. A quick search on Google pointed me to this: the Old Boy Chess Club. And here are a few pics I found courtesy of Nosey in Newtown blog. Might check that out.

New Sydney Uni Site

The Sydney University Chess Club has a new president, Mark Longhurst, and a new website. Quite impressive. I like the clean design, very usable and accessible. They're actually adhering to web standards!

But what might be more interesting reading is the background to Jason Chan's departure as the club's president. He penned an open letter that is available for reading here. Tragic. But it sounds so bad I just wonder how these USU guys can get away with it! Seems almost like daylight robbery to me.

Open Day at Box Hill CC

The Box Hill Chess Club in Victoria held its Open Day last Sunday. Gladys Liu, the club's new boss, reports that it was a very big success - so big that they now have to "start a new coaching class in Sunday afternoons to meet the demand". You can read the report in Chess Victoria's latest news sheet here.



Thanks also to long-time club stalwart Trevor Stanning for these exclusive photos!

Burnie Chess Club Responds

A couple of days ago, we told you about a strange condition of entry used at the Burnie Shines Weekender held in Tasmania. There just had to be a reason for such a radical rule. We fired off an email to Phil Donnelly to find out more. Below is his response and we have his permission to cite verbatim.

Yes I agree the condition of entry would seem a bit odd if you didn’t know the reason for it which you obviously don’t.

We have a local self-professed chess expert and self-appointed scribe down here in Tasmania who has, in the past, written Chess reports that in my view, while being largely factually accurate, have included some subjective comments and/or omitted some relevant facts. In one particular event in Burnie a report was written that, again in my view, cast the Burnie Club and in particular one of its members (not me), in an unfavourable light. Again in my view needlessly negative and subjectively judgmental reporting of a Chess event is something that should be discouraged as it is likely to bring Chess into disrepute.

I put a proposal to the BCC that we should avoid this happening again by making it one of the conditions of entry to the Burnie Shines event that the Club reserved reporting rights to the event. This was accepted OK by the members.

In the event no entrant made any reference to or complaint (sic) about the restriction with the sole exception of the local scribe referred to above. He indicated on a public bulletin board sometime before the event that he was not unhappy with this condition. He also turned up to compete in the event at the last moment.

The event went off well and I reported it in the positive and favorable light that it merited. I also prepared the report that appeared in the local newspaper.

We're almost 100% certain that Mr Donnelly's "self-appointed scribe" is none other than Dr Kevin Bonham - Tasmanian Chess Association secretary, ACF senior selection coordinator and a regular guest to TCG.

We await Kevin's response and it would also be nice to get our hands on that report which apparently cast the Burnie CC and one of its members in an "unfavourable light".

St George CC

Just wondering. Two controversies. One chess club.

St George.

Funny that.