Australian Junior Championship Diary

Day 1: 15/01/2011

My home state of Victoria is hosting the National Junior Championships in the beautiful rural setting of Billanook College, about 45 minutes to an hours drive east of the centre of Melbourne. The tournament has changed format from previous years. What used to be a 2 week event has been fitted into 9 days starting on a Saturday and finishing on a Sunday. This will mean only one week of holiday is required for families who travel with their children to the event. The tournament has also split into more sections. Previously there was just 2 tournaments for under 18 and under 12's with the other age groups such as under 14 and under 16, under 10's and under 8's competing with older kids. Now each 2 year division has its own section, with the only proviso being that there must be enough children for that age group or it will be joined to another.

Of all the boys sections it looks as if there will be enough children for each section to be seperately run. In the girls divisions the under 18 and under 16 groups have been joined, as have the under 10 and 8 sections. Saying that, it looks as if this is the largest Australian Junior Championships in terms of participation on record, a fine effort by the organising team. And the sections are all incredibly competitive with some great Australian Junior talent on show, and of course some great talents of the future waiting to be unveiled.

 The main auditorium begins to fill for the opening ceremony

Chief Organiser Yew Sze Lim speaks at the opening ceremony thanking sponsors and introducing dignitaries such as (sitting right to left) Chief Arbiter Charles Zworestine, ACF President Gary Wastell, Chess Victoria President Leonid Sandler, and Billanook College representative, Robert Oakes, Principal of the College.

A star of the future? William Maligin looking happy after holding the second highest rated player in his section to a draw. Not bad for William's first long play event.