I competed in the Canadian Women’s Zonal Championship, our national chess championship and the first stage of the World Championship cycle, in April 2024. I think it may have attracted the largest and strongest field ever for a Canadian women’s tournament. I was very proud of the Hart House Chess Club for pulling off such a wonderful event. I used to lead the club , way back from 2003-2007, and we certainly never aimed this high back then. The Canadian Championship one of two flagship events on the annual chess calendar, along with the Canadian Open. I’ve previously played in the Canadian Championship in 2011 (Guelph) and 2017 (Montreal), as well as the Canadian Open in 2017 (Sault Ste. Marie), 2019 (Regina), and 2022 (Hamilton), and every tournament has been special in its own way. This one was distinguished for me personally by the number of crazy games I played, including a lot of comebacks from very desperate positions. It all started with my first-round game, which went well over 100 moves, with a memorable escape at the end to salvage a draw. I reviewed it in depth here for Chris White’s “Novice Chess Channel” on YouTube. Overall I was seeded sixth and finished sixth, so I guess that worked out ok! I lost two games, to my teammates from the 2022 Olympiad in Chennai, who are both very strong. I wish them and the whole team success in Budapest this fall!

Every aspect of the event was professionally organized, and the photography was no exception. The photos here capture some of the spirit of the competition, and also that I definitely don’t have a poker face.

Some of the early posts on this new website carry forward recent past items, for continuity.