All the right moves: Local chess club builds a community of players
- Emma Bowman
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
Emma Bowman
Paris Independent Contributor
From casual Sundays to competitive tournaments, White Knight Chess Promotions keeps minds sharp and friendships growing in Paris
Every Sunday, you will find a local chess club playing at the communal tables inside Wincey Mills. Players from Paris to as far as Brampton and Richmond Hill, of all ages, drive to town to casually play. And it’s not just the players who enjoy the experience, vendors at Wincey Mill’s welcome them with open arms. Alethea Hamilton, from The Grilled Cheese Effect, said “people are so nice and enjoy a reason to come out.” A Barista’s from Detour Cafe agreed, “it feels good to know that there’s a space like this in Paris ... the sense of community it brings and people coming from all ages and different backgrounds feels good.”
On Sunday, October 26, White Knight Chess Promotions hosted a chess tournament in the Bottle Room of the Paris Beer Company, located inside the Wincey Mills building. It marked the group’s first biannual tournament, though not their first competition. In the past, White Knight has organized ladder-style chess events, where players are ranked on a ladder based on their personal standings—winning against a higher-ranked opponent moves you up, while a loss moves you down. Prizes at previous tournaments have included a rafting experience down the Grand River and various cash awards.
But this time they decided to run things differently on Sunday, by making it a Swiss tournament. It’s a form of chess that is similar to a round-robin. There are no eliminations, and every player gets randomly assigned an opponent. In this tournament rankings weren’t necessary to play – it was fun for all. Will Copeman, helped Herman Kruis organize this event with a website program that provided pairings and colour coordination: who would play black or white.
Starting at quarter after 12, the bottle room filled up with the 14 participants, who travelled as far as Toronto and Huron County for the tournament. Players were randomly paired for the opening round before shifting to a Swiss-style format for the remainder of the tournament. Each match was timed, keeping play fast-paced and competitive. Winners earned one point per victory and advanced to face other players with the same score, while those without a win were matched against opponents with similar results. Every participant played five games in total, and the player with the highest point total at the end of the day was crowned the tournament champion.
In the end, Denis Ryadnov won the first play with a score of 5/5 games. In the Canadian Chess Federation – also known as CFC – he has a high rating of 2206. These CFC ratings are dictated by mathematical formulas that the Canadian Chess Federation uses for the rated tournaments held to look at the performance of players against opponents’ ratings. Ratings increase after each win and decrease after a loss. Coming in second is Kyrylo Demchenko with a score of 4/5 games. His CFC high rating is 2158. And Herman Kruis, finished third place with a score of 4/5. Winners received 3D-printed trophies designed and created by Copeman himself. These intricate prizes were multifunctional—serving not only as keepsakes but also as portable chess sets. Each trophy included an additional set of chess pieces, and its neck could be detached from the base and topper to unfold into a chessboard. In other words, every winner went home with both a trophy and a travel chess set.
Herman Kruis, the organizer and founder of White Knight Chess Promotions, encourages players of all backgrounds to play. He believes that chess is an important activity that local communities should have provided to young and old minds. Back in the 80’s and 90’s he would hold the Brantford Chess Club’s meetings, competitions, and more in the Eaton Centre down Dalhousie Street. Now after having the Brantford Chess Club’s Ladder trophy for the last 30 years, he has added another layer for the Wincey Mills chess club and their future tournaments.
This Chess club is always looking forward to having new members join and play with them. You don’t have to hold a rating in the chess world or have played. If you have an interest in chess or finding a group to meet on a Sunday, come to Wincey Mills on Mechanic Street and join in. Every Sunday, you will find players from 2 pm to 4pm. This is a great way to test your skills and spend a Sunday afternoon. And maybe think about jumping into the next tournament hosted by White Knight Chess Promotions.