San Gabriel’s First Charity Chess Tournament puts breast cancer awareness on the board

The competition was fierce. The concentration was intense. The quiet was only disrupted by the soft click of the timer, pressed by players after each move. Each player kept a running record of their moves, and that of their opponent, throughout the game, to be analyzed later.

The tournament was open to players of all skill levels and ages, which varied widely from 6 years old to 70-plus. Chess does not discriminate.

Parents had staked out their spots in the shade, even before the 8:30 a.m. check-in. They settled in for a long day of waiting, while their kids (many of the participants were young kids and teenagers) played chess.

The inaugural “Checkmate for a Cause” Charity Chess Tournament took place on Sunday, August 30, at the Historic Grapevine Arbor in the City of San Gabriel. San Gabriel Councilmember John Wu organized the event in partnership with Rook Logic and the San Gabriel Valley Chess Club (SGVCC).

The tournament had five skill levels: Under 800; 800+; 1200+; 1600+; and 2000+. It’s all about chasing the points!  Under 1,000 points is a novice, and 2000 and above is an expert. Beyond that, it veers into Master’s territory.  Players are matched within their skill level, determined by points earned in tournaments, and they hope to earn points to move up to the next level. Points can only be accumulated in a tournament sanctioned by the United States Chess Federation, and since the San Gabriel Valley Chess Club is an affiliate, points could be accumulated. U.S. National rankings are based on performance and points earned at local competitions.

Wu explained, “Every player has a number which the US Chess Federation issues. That number will be with them for a lifetime, so every single tournament like this, they will register their numbers. If they win or lose, they will just get higher points or lower their points.  They classify not by age, but by the rating, so that’s why you probably will see kids with the same rating playing with a senior.”

“This is the game without the age boundaries,” Wu continued. “This is more about the technique, how concentrated the players can be.  This is an amazing sport, the brand sport, because you cannot blame anyone else if you lose again. It’s a very singular sport.”

Rook Logic in San Marino, ironically, was co-founded by a young girl, Melody Kwan, who doesn’t play chess anymore, but her brother did and needed a place to play.  Wesley was only five at the time, and too young to belong to a chess club.  He would tag along, watching his sister play.  Soon he was playing with the chess coach. By age 9, Wesley ranked first in the nation in his age group.

Melody has abandoned chess and focuses on debate, with plans to organize speech programs for children’s hospitals.   “I know a lot of children who are in the hospitals and don’t have the same resources to do speech or debate, so we hope to bring some speech programs or chess programs inside hospitals as well,” Kwan said.

John Wright is the organizer from the San Gabriel Valley Chess Club, located in San Gabriel. “My part is really just to kind of facilitate the running of the tournament,” Wright said. “The really truly unique thing about chess is it’s the only competition I’m aware of where adults and kids can play in the same events. Because size, speed and strength don’t matter. It doesn’t matter how rich you are or how poor you are.  You can still sit down and play a game of chess.”

Although this tournament was open to all ages, there are “scholastic” tournaments just for children.

To improve their game and increase their point level, many competitors go to tournaments every weekend, but there have been none in this area. Wu, whose daughter Daphne plays at the San Marino club, decided it was time to have a tournament close to home. He spoke with the two area clubs, Rook Logic and SGVCC, and both agreed it was a good idea.

The response from attendees was positive. The consensus was that the venue at the San Gabriel Grape Vine Arbor was very pleasant, with shaded areas to sit and wait while chatting with other parents, plus places to get coffee and food within walking distance.  Most players were from the area, but Wright mentioned that some had come from as far away as San Diego and Sacramento. But the venue was small, allowing only 120 players and creating a long waiting list.  With the success of this first tournament, Wu is already planning additional tournaments in larger venues in San Gabriel.

Trophies and prize money were awarded to the tournament winners. Tyler Chang, from San Marino, was a first-place winner in his under-800 division.  At ten years old, Chang has been playing for two or three years. “I play tournaments around Los Angeles, oh like three or four times a year,” Chang said. “I’ve had a fifth- place trophy and then I actually got first- place for my last tournament I played.”

The tournament aimed to raise funds and increase public awareness of breast cancer through community engagement and education. On that front, it was very successful.

Wu was able to obtain enough sponsors, unusual for chess tournaments, to offer $2,500 in prize money as well as give the San Gabriel Police Officers Association a check for $2,500, highlighting their longstanding commitment to serve the community through charitable initiatives, including Autism Awareness, Breast Cancer Awareness campaigns, and other community outreach efforts. Officer Esther Tse accepted the check on behalf of the San Gabriel POA.

The event has received generous support from numerous local businesses and community organizations, including ThunderEx, WellHome Construction, Athens Services, ENC Mobile, Astrana Immediate Care, San Gabriel Valley Medical Center (SGVMC), Beyond Chess, and ICEA Chess, all joining together to support Breast Cancer Awareness and strengthen community involvement.