A major chess tournament is set for this weekend in Bruce County.
Port Elgin’s Lake Huron ProAm has not been held since 2019, but organizer Jeremy Clark says local chess players have shown they’re ready to get back to the chess boards following a long time away due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The chess community here has grown a little bit, or at least our reach has grown. Half of the players I would consider local, from places like Bayfield, Goderich, Wingham and Owen Sound, and about half of them come from closer to Toronto.” said Clark, who noted that there are players taking part in the tournament that he could never beat “if given 1,000 tries over the course of a lifetime.”
The Lake Huron ProAm is a 5-round Swiss format, and will be divided into three sections based on Elo rating with the Chess Federation of Canada: 1800+, 1400+, and u-1400. The tournament will be held at Port Elgin-Saugeen Central School, is open to everyone, and is an all ages event.
“You tend to play people if not exactly at your skill level, within a couple hundred points of you” says Clark, noting that to be able to host an event this far away from Toronto “feels pretty good for the little chess community that we’ve been growing here.”
Those interested in participating can learn more by following the links on the Lake Huron Chess’ website.
