Canada Chess Fed worries about too many Girls Quitting Chess in High School
Hello chess blog friends, the Canadian Chess Federation is concerned about girls quitting chess at High School. Indeed, the trend is worrying and we hope things change. Here is the original article via CTV News Kitchner:
Governing body of chess says too many girls are abandoning the game
Ethan Lou, The Canadian Press
Published Sunday, July 13, 2014 3:13PM EDT
There is something about the high school years that makes female chess enthusiasts stop playing, the game's governing body says.
According to the Chess Federation of Canada, while interest in playing competitively wanes for both genders in their teens, the percentage of girls who drop out is higher than boys, resulting in abysmally few women at the game's top levels.
For the Canadian Youth Chess Championship in Montreal this Tuesday, about one-third of the 320-odd players are girls -- a stark contrast to adult competitions where women make up about five per cent of the field on average.
"It's difficult to say exactly why that happens, but it does," said Vladimir Drkulec, the chess federation's president.
"I had a girl that I was teaching that finished second in Canada in the under-14 girls' (competition), and she retired from chess after that... That seems to be a recurrent happening."
Yelizaveta Orlova, who has represented Canada in international chess events, was about the same age when she stopped playing for a year and a half.
The 19-year-old, who has been playing since age four, said she started feeling self-conscious at 14 as chess was not seen as a traditionally cool pursuit.
St. Timothy elementary school is hosting the city finals for the Toronto Catholic District School Board's girls-only chess tournament.
"The reaction of one of my friends was kind of like, 'Really? You play?"' she said. "It wasn't even the fact that he was joking about it. It was the tone that kind of set it off.
"I was young; that's when girls tend to overthink about a lot of things."
Orlova added that boys, on the other hand, seem to worry less about social status at that age, and more male chess players stay in the game.
Rebecca Giblon, 17, the current sixth ranked female player in Canada, said in lower-level tournaments, boys also gravitate toward unprofessional behaviour and foster an unwelcoming environment.
"Thirteen- to 15-year-old boys aren't mature even on a good day," she said. "The players at local tournaments make jokes about stuff.
"Not specifically going against me because I'm a girl, but it's just among a huge list of making fun of everybody for everything."
Canada currently has 10 men who have been awarded the grandmaster title -- the highest level in the game -- but no women, though some countries have several. The world chess governing body has both male and female titles, but women are eligible for the harder-to-get male title as well as women's titles.
The Canadian government provides no funding to chess.
Orlova, who was born in Ukraine, said Canada lacks a strong chess culture and places more emphasis on physical sports such as hockey and basketball.
"When you go to Europe, chess is actually a fairly well-known game," she said. "Many people here, they don't even say the word 'chess,' they mistake it for the word 'chest."'
Drkulec said that even in Michigan, the state that borders Windsor, Ont., where he is based, the proportion of women who play in tournaments is about three times that of Canada.
To encourage more female participation, the chess federation created two women-only national titles last April that are easier to attain than their open-category counterparts.
The titles faced opposition even from within, with some saying it suggests women cannot compete intellectually with men. The motion to create them passed with 10 voting members -- nearly one-third -- either indicating no or abstaining.
Drkulec acknowledges that argument, but said it's an idealistic view.
"I want more people playing chess," he said. "If we followed (that) argument, we would have even fewer women playing.
Drkulec added that while it is difficult to pin the lack of female participation to a specific factor, it does exist -- and it perpetuates itself.
Giblon said it can be discouraging that there are few other women in Canada's chess scene.
"I really do feel that sometimes I'm sort of alone in this," she said. "When I was little, that did sometimes make me feel like, 'Why should I even do this if there's no one else like me?' but I just kept pushing through."
Drkulec said the federation has stepped up efforts to target women and girls -- female-only titles and events, for instance -- but it would be a challenge to reach its goal: a 50-50 gender ratio.
"We are encouraging our members to do more in that area, but that's all we can do," he said. "The federation itself is just basically the members -- we have one full-time employee."
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: canada chess, chess girls
Chess Youngster Tanraj Sohal Sweeps Canadian Chess Championship And Sets New Records
Hello chess friends, here's some cool update about a nice chess youngster from Canada. Indo-Canadian chess youngster Tanraj Sohal has won the 2014 Canadian Chess Championship held in Winnipeg, Manitoba on May 18-19 in his grade level, reports the Link.
Tanraj, a Grade 12 student, had earlier won the Fraser Valley Regional Chess Championship in Surrey in February, 2014 and BC Provincial Chess Championship held in Richmond, BC in March.
Tanraj is the current BC Chess Champion (Best chess player in BC regardless of age).
Tanraj, who started playing chess when he was in Grade 1, has won both the Fraser Valley Regional Chess Championships and BC Provincial Chess Championships in his grade level from Grades 1 to 12, a record 12 consecutive years.
He has represented BC at the Canadian Chess Challenge held across Canada from 2003 to 2014, a record 12 years in a row. He has won the Canadian Chess Challenge (National Championship) 9 times, setting a new record for the highest number of national championships won by any player in the history of this tournament.
Canadian Chess Challenge is the annual event where each province is represented by their 12 Provincial Champions (one player from Grades 1 to 12). Canadian Chess Challenge is organized and sponsored by the Chess’n Math Association, Canada’s National Scholastic Chess Organization.
Each player plays 9 round robin matches over two days in their respective grades against each of the provincial champions. Tanraj was recognized by the Chess’n Math Association with a special plaque presentation as the only player in the history of the tournament to represent his province at the Canadian Chess Challenge for 12 consecutive years.
Tanraj was also honoured to carry the Canadian flag during the opening ceremony of the Canadian Chess Challenge.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: canada chess, tanraj sohal
Catch Canada Chess Talent Ashley Tapp for Spl Announcement at Martial Arts Event Today in Vancouver
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
Chess Blog readers would be familiar with Ashley Tapp, now 13 - the young Canadian chess girl who fund-raised her way to her first world youth chess tournament in Slovenia representing Canada, in November 2012.
This year, Ashley’s efforts have remained the same to raise funds for her World Qualifier 2013 playing at festivals and promoting chess and for girls - only this time with a difference – ‘she is no longer alone’.
Chess friend Jill Ding (17) from Victoria has teamed up with Ashley with the same goals and ambitions to inspire more girls to play. Ashley from Gordon school in Vancouver, and Jill Ding of St Michael's University School of Victoria are ‘the perfect team’ – both from different school systems they represent all girls, and equally hold the same passions for their sport – ‘chess,’ and have set high goals for their future. Interestingly, both girls are honor students in math and science.
Ashley writes to Chess Blog: "We would like to answer to that call to have more girls play chess. Playing chess is more than an elite game; it is supposed to be accessible to all kids who want to play. For us, playing chess is a social event, a place to make friendships, to help each other with logic of thinking; learning to take responsibility for our moves/ actions and to support each other with consequences. It also allows us to prepare for competition; very important given today’s expectations. Chess complements academic study like math and the sciences, and it is our motivation to initiate more girls to excel in these areas, and eventually this could move towards changing the corporate scenario with more girls taking the lead."
To make this happen, after only one year Ashley is proud to announce the successful incorporation of the BC GIRLS CHESS FOUNDATION at an event in the city a Chess and Martial Arts promotion at the Dojang Martial Arts School in Vancouver, Point Grey, 4458 W10th Ave. June 22, 1-3:00 pm.; where Ashley and Jill will make this announcement.
As a Chess Blog reader and chess lover, if you can make it, do attend the event!
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Labels: ashley tapp, canada chess, chess and martial arts, jill ding
Canadian Chess Champion Tanraj Sohal Dreams of GM Title En Route to Medical Degree
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
We found this nice chess profile in the Vancouver Sun. Tanraj Sohal has earned accolades in Canada by winning his eighth national chess title recently. Tanraj Sohal hopes to become a doctor but, first things first, he’d like to be a Grandmaster in chess. Sohal, a Grade 11 student at Fleetwood Park in Surrey, is well on his way to that goal. The 16-year-old just snagged his eighth national title at the Canadian Chess Challenge in Ottawa. The competition pits the best provincial school age players in two days of timed round robin play.
“The games were pretty quick,” said Sohal, who holds the title of national master. He said his second round, against a player from Ontario was the most intense. “No game is easy. If you lose one game, you know you are not going to come in first. You can’t make any mistakes.” Competing is a lot of pressure, said Sohal, but he loves the game.
Earlier, Sohal snagged the top title at the B.C. open, meaning he was the best player in the province of any age group. Sohal started playing in Grade 1, and found the endless puzzles and possibilities of the game kept him engaged and wanting to play more. “It’s creative. Your whole personality can be seen in your game. If you’re a risk-taker in life you’ll be a lot more attacking, more willing to weaken yourself for the chance to win. If you’re cautious, you’ll be more positional, not attacking but being careful and going after others’ weaknesses.”
Sohal describes himself as a combination of the two, with a “pretty universal style.” He admires Grandmaster and No. 1 ranked player Magnus Carlsen, a Norwegian that has been credited with bringing back the cachet chess hadn’t enjoyed since the 1970s, when American Grandmaster Bobby Fischer achieved celebrity status after routing Russian Boris Spassky.
Like anyone his age, Sohal loves computer games, but he’s more likely to spend hours a day playing chess online.
“Computers are changing the way people play chess,” said Sohal. “Before, people learned by studying books, but now with new computer programs you can analyze much more quickly.”
Computers also allow players like Sohal to play against other highly skilled players around the world in live games on the Internet, invaluable experience that would have been impossible for young players even a decade ago.
Sohal knows if he wants to become a Grandmaster, he’ll have to take time off school to devote himself full time to chess, but it’s a gambit he may be willing to take. “Becoming a Grandmaster is kind of like getting a PhD. Each title is like a degree.”
If he keeps advancing, and winning, in the chess world, medical school just might have to wait.
Labels: canada chess, tanraj sohal
Cool Chess Feature: The Chess Trail from Iceland to Canada and Further!
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
What do 'Iceland and chess', or 'Manitoba and Chess' remind you of? Surely, of Bobby Fischer... among other things! We found this beautiful chess feature article on The Winnipeg Freepress.
Chess has linked Gimli and Reykjavik since 1880s
By: Irwin Lipnowski
For two magical months in the summer of 1972, the Earth stood still. All eyes were riveted on Reykjavik, Iceland, enthralled by the epic battle that unfolded to determine who would reign as the 11th chess champion of the world. In the land where epic battles were witnessed and chronicled almost 1,000 years earlier, two gladiators of the mind waged an uncompromising struggle involving wits and will. The irresistible force that was Bobby Fischer, the challenger, was colliding with the immovable object that was Boris Spassky, the defender. Metaphorically, a volcano versus a glacier.
Fischer was the lone American, a hero of the free world, who was obsessed with fulfilling his destiny to become the world champion. Spassky was the unflappable defender of the crown, representing the Soviet chess empire that had dominated world chess since 1948.
In the era of the Cold War, the Americans and the Soviets would regard a victory by their representative as positive proof of the superiority of their ideology and political system, as striking a blow for good over evil. American Secretary of State Henry Kissinger sent a message of encouragement to Fischer before the match commenced. President Richard Nixon sent a congratulatory message to Fischer after his convincing conquest.
While Iceland occupied centre stage as it hosted the most exciting World Chess Championship ever held, one might well wonder how tiny Iceland came to enjoy this privileged historical position. Surprisingly, the answer is connected -- if only indirectly -- to Manitoba.
The linkage between Iceland and Manitoba in chess began with the mass exodus in the 1880s of 20 per cent of Iceland's population to the New Iceland on the shores of Lake Winnipeg.
Among the new arrivals was a 16-year-old orphan named Magnus Magnusson. Magnusson adopted the surname Smith. Shortly after his arrival in Manitoba in 1885, he headed to California to seek his fortune. As the California real estate bubble burst in 1887, Smith relocated to Vancouver, where he joined the local chess club. In 1895, he took up the study of chess seriously and began to play competitively. He returned to Winnipeg in 1898.
Three Canadian Chess Championships were held between 1899 and 1906 -- in 1899, 1904 and 1906. In each of these competitions, Smith secured first place. He was clearly the strongest Canadian chess player at that time.
The next important link between Manitoba and Icelandic chess involved an important chance encounter between Winnipeg lawyer and politician Abe Yanofsky, eight-time Canadian chess champion and the first chess grandmaster in the British Commonwealth, and Fridrik Olafsson, Iceland's first chess grandmaster, former president of the World Chess Federation (FIDE), lawyer and Secretary of the Icelandic parliament.
Labels: Bobby Fischer, canada chess, iceland chess, irwin lipnowski, magnusson magnus, winnipeg freepress
Canadian Chess Talent Ashley Funds her way to Slovenia Youth Chess 2012
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Canadian chess talent Ashley spent the summer raising funds for her participation in the Slovenia World Youth Chess Championship 2012. You can read all about her at this earlier Chess Blog post. Here is a nice thank-you chess video Ashley has prepared.
Ashley in a Nakamura simul.
Labels: ashley tapp, canada chess, Chess video, slovenia world youth chess
Vancouver Chess Kid Ashley Tapp Continues 'I-Will-Play-in-Slovenia Mission'
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
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Ashley Tapp in a
Nakamura simul |
Remember Ashley Tapp from Vancouver? The 12-year-old chess kid is determined to compete in the World Youth Chess Championship in Slovenia in November. The straight-A student is on a fundraising spree for her participation. Ashley was fundraising at the PNE Monday afternoon by playing any fairgoers willing to donate money and go head-to-head against Canada’s chess-playing girl qualified to play for the world title girls under 12.
Read more »Labels: ashley tapp, canada chess, chess fundraiser, slovenia chess, vancouver chess, world youth chess
New Chess Table: How Much Joy's That Worth?
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
We found this interesting story about a new chess table. Just the thought that more people would find the joy of chess for a lifetime is enough for us to feel happy and carry the story. The article appears in The Bulletin, Toronto. A lot of chess has been happening in Canada lately.
César (right) studies the board as Leslie (left) and Joel Dick look on. Dick has raised half the cost of a fifth table.
In front of Metropolitan United Church on Queen St. between Jarvis and Church, they gather every day to play chess. A diverse crowd, all male, brought together by their life on the margins of society in Toronto—some homeless, some physically disabled, some with emotional issues, some just down on their luck—and by a need for companionship and a common love of the game.
There are far more potential players than the four tables can accommodate. Downtown lawyer Joel Dick wants to do something about that. Talking to The Bulletin among a group of players around the tables, Dick says, “I decided to run for council in Ward 27 in the 2010 election. While I was out looking for votes I got to know these guys, and they told me they needed more tables, and I promised to do something about that. I didn’t win the election, but decided that I could do something about the tables anyway.”
Leslie, one of the regulars, came to Toronto from Eastern Europe about 23 years ago, and immediately found the place where the chess players hung out. In those days, it was outside Sam the Record Man at the corner of Yonge and Gould, and there were 10 tables.
When Sam’s finally closed down and was demolished in 2007, six of the table and stool sets–all substantial pieces of concrete permanently sited–were moved by the city to Nathan Philips Square. The other four went to Metropolitan United where they are filled to overflowing.
The ones in front of city hall don’t get much use: “You feel like a tourist attraction, going there to play,” contributes one of the regulars.
The front of Met United isn’t much less public, but the scuffed lawn under the trees has a more homey feel than the monumental square three blocks west. It’s identifiable turf.
Dick says that trying to get the six Nathan Philips tables moved would be an exercise in bureaucracy that is probably doomed from the outset. So, with permission from the church and the city who respectively own and administer the grounds, he will keep his campaign promise one table at a time.
To date he has raised about half the price of one set, which must be purchased from a city-approved vendor’s list since they have to be sturdy and non-movable. Any donation over $10 qualifies for a charitable receipt from the Lions’ Club of Toronto. More information about the project can be found at joeldick.com.
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www.chessqueen.com Labels: canada chess, chess table, joel dick, lions chess club, toronto chess
Canadian sisters on winning chess spree!
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012Hello everyone,Here is an interesting chess feature from Canada by Michelle Bitran for CJ News. When Andrew Giblon signed up his young daughters for chess lessons at the local community centre in Thornhill, he had no idea that in just a few short years, both would become national chess champions.
“My cousin had already started playing chess, and my parents thought it’d be nice for us, too – something about wanting the kids out of the house,” Rebecca Giblon said with a smile. She’s 14 years old and the older of the two girls.
Rebecca began playing chess when she was about six years old and was soon followed by her younger sister, Melissa, now 12. Both girls had a bumpy start, but they were determined to improve.
“I was really not good at all, but I wanted to win,” Melissa said of her early days playing.
The sisters practised a lot, undeterred by the steep learning curve of the classic strategy game, until finally, their work began to pay off.
“In Grade 3, something clicked,” Rebecca said. “I’m not really sure how it happened.”
As they improved, Giblon arranged for private chess coaching for his daughters. In 2007, Rebecca became a national champion for girls under 10. In 2009, she won again for girls under 12, and Melissa won for girls under 10. In 2011, Melissa became national champion for girls under 12.
“It got a lot more fun. Now I actually have something to look forward to,” Rebecca said about her success.
Winning the national championships automatically qualified the talented sisters for the World Youth Chess Championships (WYCC). This past November, the girls flew to Brazil with their father, who served as head of the Canadian delegation, and the rest of the Canadian youth chess team to compete at their fourth WYCC. Previously, they had competed at two WYCCs in Turkey and one in Greece.
This year’s championship featured some 1,100 competitors from 80 countries. The girls played their matches in a huge hall alongside hundreds of other players, with each match lasting anywhere from two to five hours.
Rebecca finished with the highest score for a Canadian in her section, while Melissa had the second-highest score for a Canadian in her section.
Although both sisters have impressive track records, the world of competitive chess is not exempt from sibling rivalry.
Rebecca said she refuses to play her younger sister because chess is the kind of game in which a worse player can beat a better player given the right scenario.
“If I lose to someone I should’ve beat, I get upset,” she said.
Melissa, on the other hand, said she’s open to the challenge of a sibling match. “I decided if Rebecca would be good, I’d be better,” she explained matter-of-factly.
Outside of chess, the girls enjoy skiing and reading, and each one was clutching a stack of books they had just borrowed from the library as they arrived for their interview with The CJN.
Rebecca has recently started the gifted program at Thornhill Secondary School, a place where “being a nerd is actually respected,” she said.
Melissa, who celebrated her bat mitzvah this past December, is in Grade 7 in the gifted program at Henderson Public School.
For Melissa, the ultimate goal is to earn a place on the Chess Olympiad team, and for Rebecca, it’s to earn a title from the World Chess Organization, usually referred to by its French acronym, FIDE.
Currently, Rebecca’s FIDE rating is 1720, and Melissa’s is 1572. A chess Grandmaster, the highest title a player can earn, needs a minimum rating of 2500. Melissa is hoping to gain 500 rating points over the next six months.
Giblon said he’s continually impressed by the dedication his daughters have shown to chess, a game that is often overlooked by young people and is not particularly popular among women.
“I was surprised – it’s been a real testament to their skill and their hard work that they’ve gotten this far,” he said.
With their notable titles and the chance to see the world, Giblon is proud of the girls. “Even if they quit chess tomorrow, what they got out of it until now was well worth it,” he said.
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Labels: canada chess, melissa thornhill, rebecca thornhill
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