The Mount Maunganui RSA Chess Club will celebrate a major milestone next month by hosting its 20th one-day national-level chess tournament.

The Bay of Plenty Rapid Chess Tournament will be held on Saturday, February 28, at the Arataki Bible Chapel and is expected to attract about 50 players from across the North Island, from school-age children to retirees.

Tournament organiser and club secretary Caleb Wright said the event had become a fixture on the national chess calendar and helped change how rapid chess is played in New Zealand.

“This tournament was the first of its kind in New Zealand,” Wright said. “Twenty years ago, we introduced a new time control with a small bonus increment added at every move.

“It stopped games being decided simply by running an opponent out of time, and it changed rapid chess for the better.”

Rapid chess uses shorter time limits than standard chess, allowing a full tournament to be completed in one day. Wright said the new system reduced disputes and improved sportsmanship.

“Once the increment was introduced, players were more likely to play games to a proper conclusion or resign when clearly lost,” he said. “Virtually every rapid chess tournament in New Zealand adopted the same time control, and it’s still used today.”

Young chess player Tom Docker, 11, who is preparing to compete in the Bay of Plenty Rapid Chess Tournament in February. Photo / Jo Jones

The Mount Maunganui RSA Chess Club has operated since 1999 and is the only New Zealand Chess Federation-affiliated club in the Western Bay of Plenty, with members travelling from Ōmokoroa to Pāpāmoa.

The annual tournament had been held annually since 2006, except for one year when it was disrupted by arson at a venue. Wright said even Covid-19 did not stop the event.

“It’s been an adventure on and off the chessboard, but reaching 20 years is something worth celebrating,” he said.

The tournament runs from 9am to about 5.30pm, with six rounds played and $1140 in prize money across two graded sections. Spectators are welcome, provided silence is maintained during games.

Among those competing is 11-year-old Tauranga player Tom Docker, who played in the tournament for the first time last year.

“I really liked it,” Docker said. “Chess makes you use your brain to solve problems and recognise patterns. I’ve improved a lot, and I think I’ll do much better this time.”

The club believed the event was a stepping stone for players wanting national-level experience without travelling to major centres.

“It gives players a taste of what competitive chess is about,” Wright said.

Anyone interested in entering the tournament can contact Mount Maunganui RSA by phone or email, with details available online.