Chess lovers will have an opportunity to challenge a top chess player in Richmond tomorrow.
Bindi Cheng, a Canadian Junior chess champion and International Master - the second highest title in chess - since 2011, will be at a simultaneous chess exhibition, where he will play against 20 players at the same time.
“Bindi is a legendary chess player and a guru. The first game he attended was one of the highest-level competitions and he surprised everyone at the time,” said Tina Luo, founder of Richmond Chess Champions club that will host the event.
“It’s a rare chance for chess students and players to play against someone like Bindi – usually he is so far away and you don’t meet players at his level at competitions.”
There will be 20 chess boards at the exhibition and Cheng will rotate from one to the other, while the other players stay in front of their chess board. The games will include three rounds.
Luo said the club hopes this event will inspire more people to get into chess, a sport that has many benefits including the development of thinking skills and cognitive ability and increasing attention span.
Since launched last month, Richmond Chess Champions has had around 50 students – from five years old to adults – and provides chess classes and a weekly chess competition among students.
“We hope that more children in Richmond will enjoy playing chess and the thinking process versus playing computer games at home. Students can spend two hours thinking in the class in front of a chess board, versus a laptop.”
There are still a few spots available for the competition, according to Luo, and people who are interested in attending can contact the club.
