Bowser Builders Supply Open Chess Tournament

The 2014 Bowser Builders Supply Open Chess tournament has taken its place in history and will be remembered as one of the best ever.  In addition to many regulars from the Bishops of Bowser and the Victoria Chess Club we drew some of the best players in the Province including Valeriya Gansvind who lives part time in Victoria and in Estonia where she is considered one of the best.  We also were graced by attendance of the Royal family of Chess in BC, the Doknjas family (pronounced doh-kn-yas) led by mother Victoria Jung Doknjas from Surrey.  The boys John 15, Joshua 12 and Neil 9 swept the competition bumping previous winners Roger Patterson, Paul Leblanc and Neil Cruden.  This tournament will also be remembered because of representation by ladies.  In addition to Valerya there was her daughter Inna Rabinovich and Victoria Jung Doknjas.  In past years we have only ever had one woman and that is Lucette Fuerst from Nanoose Bay who would have been back this year too but she came down with a cold at the last minute.  Lucette was disappointed not to have been there with the other ladies but she is happy to pass the trophy on to Valeriya this year.  She looks forward to challenging the ladies next year.  Other new players this year included Nigel Hanrahan from Victoria and new members of the Bishops of Bowser, Ralph Svatos from Denman Island and Ed Jewer from Qualicum Beach.  This was Ed's first tournament but he excelled to the point that he was one of four that shared second place.  Ed participated in the five minute blitz round to break the tie but the clock beat him in the end.  Peter Zingeler from Victoria who played in our first ever tournament six years ago returned bringing with him Ian Stenning a friend, also from Victoria.  Joshua Doknjas defeated Valeriya in the blitz playoff to place second.  His younger brother Neil was awarded the Junior Prize.

Thanks to Betsy and Mack at Bowser Builders Supply for their generous support.  Thanks to Ben at the Legion.  Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Leblanc who supplied pastries and canned beverages for competitors.  Paul Leblanc and Roger Patterson were awarded magnetic name badges as honourary Bishops of Bowser for their long-term support of this tournament.  Betsy Poel of Bowser Builoders Supply was given a badge and honourary Bishops of Bowser too.

Cross Table Results

A four-way tie for 2nd place was resolved with a round of blitz games.  Valeriya and Joshua played one game while Ed Jewer and Nigel Hanrahan played another.  Nigel and Joshua were in the playoff for second and Joshua won generating a sweep for boys of team Doknjas.

Left to right Valeriya Gansvind, John Doknjas, Neil Doknjas, Joshua Doknjas, Robert McFetridge (photo by Victoria Jung Doknjas)

Prizes

Biographical exerpt for Valeriya from Wikkipedia.

Valeriya Gansvind learned to play chess at age eleven. In 1983 she graduated from Moscow boarding sports school. In chess competitions Valeriya played for Estonia because her mother is from Tartu.^[1] In Estonian Women's Chess Championship Valeriya Gansvind has won 2 gold (2006, 2009) and 2 silver medals (2005, 2008).^[2][3]

Valeriya Gansvind played for Estonia in Chess Olympiads:^[4]

• In 2006, at third board in the 37th Chess Olympiad in Turin (+3 −3 =5);
• In 2008, at second board in the 38th Chess Olympiad in Dresden (+6 −1 =4);
• In 2010, at second board in the 39th Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk (+3 −4 =4).

Worked as a chess coach. Lives in Moscow and Canada, taking part in there a chess tournaments.^[5] Valeriya's son Andrey Kalinichev is FIDE master and has won Estonian Chess Championship silver medal in 2005.^[6]