Tauranga chess Congress attracts players from far and wide

Rotorua's Nunilon Fulo (left) settles in to a match against Auckland's Paul Garnett. Photo / Esme O'Rafferty

The 127th New Zealand Chess Congress, held at the Trinity Wharf Hotel, graced Tauranga this week.

It is the first time it has been held in Tauranga, with five tournaments during the Congress: the New Zealand Open and Major Open Championships, the New Zealand Junior Open Championship, the Rapid Championship and the Lightning Championship.

Rapid chess and lightning chess are new forms of the game, with the rapid style chess taking 25 minutes per game and five seconds per move.

Lightning style takes only three minutes per game, and two seconds per move.

The Bay of Plenty Times visited on Tuesday as the tournament was preparing to open.

Among the dozens of players milling about, ready to start, there were the young, old, and in between.

Of the almost 100 players, most were men, but there were a few women - and girls - taking part as well.

Among those at the tournament were international Grandmasters Vasily Papin from Russia, Daniel Fernandez from England, and Darryl Johansen from Australia.

Chief organiser Bob Smith said this was quite a lineup.

"This tournament's not lacking strength," he said.

"The New Zealand Chess Federation should be fairly confident that any Kiwi who battles their way through that lineup and finishes clear of the other Kiwis will deserve their automatic spot in the New Zealand team."

While Tauranga MP Simon Bridges had been due to open the Congress by playing the first move, he had been unexpectedly called away to Judge Robert Ronayne's funeral in Auckland.

"I'm sure we can all agree that paying your respects is more important than opening a chess tournament, no matter how significant or memorable the tournament might be," Smith said.

Rotorua's Nunilon Fulo said he loved chess so much he had driven from Rotorua to Tauranga every day this week.

Playing chess started as something to keep his brain trained, he said, but he saw the benefits and decided to keep going.

"It improves your strategic thinking, decision making and outlook in life," he said.

Fulo wasn't exactly sure how many tournaments he'd been part of, but he knows he's been in at least "four or five" since he arrived in New Zealand from the Philippines in 2015.

This year, his 12-year-old daughter Nyla had also decided to take part in the New Zealand Open Junior Championship.

She didn't start off with a love of the game, but she had definitely changed her mind since, he said.

"She's starting to appreciate chess," he said.

"She started playing chess seriously since she was 11."

Fulo has started to coach Nyla and said she' was getting quite good.

"Even though she started quite late, compared to the other children."