Canada Women & Girls Chess

San Salvador, El Salvador - During May 5th-12th , 2008 - 13-year-old Toronto girl, WFM Yuan, Yuanling represented Canada to play the Pan American Women Chess Championship 2008 in San Salvador and won the runner-up with score 6.5 over 9 rounds.

WFM Yuanling is just 13 years old. She is the youngest women Fide master and currently ranked 2nd place of Canadian women chess by rating. When she was 9 year old in 2003, she represented Canada to play the World Youth Chess Championship and won 10th place in her age group. And this year, she represented Canada to play the continental women`s championship during May 5th to May 12th in El Salvador, the country in the center-America.

Today’s game in Bayview Game Chess Club would create a new Toronto Junior Chess Champion 2007. Since Zhou, Haonan, the U16B Champion of 2007 CYCC finished all rounds games and got 3.5/6, the title of the 2007 TJCC would not below Zhou. It would be from the winner of today’s game between a 13 years old girl, Yuan, Yuanling and 13 years old Canadian Chess Master, Sapozhnikov, Roman.  

Sapozhnikov only need draw this game against Yuan and would get most of chance to win the title, because he left only one game playing with Orlova,Yelizaveta who was the lowest rating in this tournament. However, Yuan, Yuanling defeated him in around 27 moves and won the 2007 Toronto Junior Champion.

Sapozhnikov would be listed 2nd place if he would win Orlova,Yelizaveta who had gone to play WYCC in Turkey these days. If Sapozhnikov would draw with Orlova, he would get score 3.5 and share 2^nd place with Zhou. Whatever the result of the last game between Sapozhnikov and Orlova, it would not affect Yuan,Yuanling taking this title.

2007 Champion of TJCC was the 3^rd title Yuan,Yuanling won this year after she moved to Toronto in April, 2007. She also held 2007 TSSCL Individual Champion and 2007 Ontario High School Chess Champion. Yuanling is the first girl has these three chess titles in Canada Chess history which is used to take by boys. Also this tournament would bring her be listed in Canada Chess Master level.

Below is a list of winners of the Ontario Girls’ Chess Championship 2007. Details results and crosstables will be posted at www.chess-math.org by May 25.

I would like to say a few words regarding the tournament. This year, we had more than 70 participants in the main tournament—a record for the OGCC since its inception in 2003. We have learned a lot over the past five events, but there is still great opportunity for a better tournament next year!

I would like to thank all of the parents and teachers for passing on their compliments--your comments and suggestions are always very helpful. I would also like to emphasize that the event would not have been possible without the hard work of our crew of volunteers: Mr. and Mrs. O’Craven, Matthew, Lai, Mr. And Mrs. Lai, Jason Chan, Michael and Karen Wan, Chalini and Sashi Lankage, Eric Zhan, Mrs. Zhan, Mr. And Mrs. Cheng, Mr. and Mrs. Yuan. Their efforts are greatly appreciated.

My gratitude extends as well to Fieldstone Day School, whom generously offered the use of their facilities. Much thanks goes to our special guests: Natalia Khoudgarian, the current Canadian Women Champion, for presenting the medals; and Yuanling Yuan, for keeping our rest area exciting with a simultaneous exhibition (in which she did not lose a single game!). Thanks to Danielle Jedral for her T-shirt design. Thanks also to anyone who helped out, that may not have been mentioned here.

In the end, however, it is the continuing support and dedication of all the coaches, teachers, and parents that keeps chess, and especially girls' chess, alive and strong in Ontario. Please keep up the great work.

Corinna

Results

Kindergarten
1st Minoosh Fathi
2nd Michelle Feldman
3rd Ljudmila Milicevic

Grade 1
1st Lindsay McLean
2nd Vicky Ye
3rd Crystal Valdez
3rd Julia Lee

Grade 2
1st Megan Cheng
2nd Melissa Giblon
3rd Aleksandra Milicevic
3rd Rachel Tao

Grade 3
1st Brittany Runeckles
2nd Allison Wong
3rd Claudia Northey

Grade 4
1st Rebecca Giblon
2nd Masha Mehdiyeva
3rd Alice Donaldson

Grade 5
1st Reena Zhan
2nd Amanda Haemaayer
3rd Jennifer Ugodnikov
3rd Hannah Taylor

Grade 6
1st Rina Plotkin
2nd Delia Soucie
3rd Sahana Radhaharan

Grade 7
1st Melissa Lee
2nd Yolanda Zhang
3rd Katerina Kalenteridas

Grade 8
1st Karen Wan
2nd Venise Cusi
3rd Rochelin Dalangin

Grade 10
1st Sashi Lankage
2nd Sonia Zhang

Grade 11
1st Gabriela Rachkova

Results of the Siblings tournaments:

Section 1
1st Mike Ivanov
1st Elliot Kaufman
3rd Brandon Lee

Section 2
1st Stanley Su
2nd Benji McLean
3rd Joshua Taylor

Section 3
1st Josiah Taylor
2nd Richard Guo
3rd Jack Xiao

Section 4
1st Jim Zhao
2nd Stefan Pirvu
3rd Joshua Perez

Results of the Adults’ tournament:
1st Frank
2nd Duffy
3rd Arkadiy

Natalia Khoudgarian, the current Canadian Women Champion, will be presenting the awards to the winners.

Yuanling Yuan, the current TSSCL and OHSCC champion, will be holding simuls and playing fun games with the girls between rounds.

Please feel free to interact with our guests, and thank them for generously donating their time to furthering girls’ chess in Ontario!