Paul Spiller           25/01/08 Rapidplay winner Herman van Riemsdijk	    Jim Benson
                              of Brazil being congratulated by New Zealand         New Zealand Chess
                                Chess Federation President Paul Spiller	          Federation Patron 
 Photo by Wayne Martin                  Photo by Helen Milligan                   Photo by Tony Booth

in Howick, and supplier of batteries for our chess clocks!

Paul Spiller, stalwart of the Howick-Pakuranga Chess Club, was elected as the President of the New Zealand Chess Federation at the Annual General Meeting on 19th January 2008. Jim Benson, another longstanding Club member, was elected the Patron. This is a double-first for our Club.

Paul says he hopes to continue developing New Zealand chess juniors and to gain more government recognition for the game, which is associated with the New Zealand Olympic Committee but receives no government funding.

He will also help organise around 25 chess events to be held in New Zealand each year, including international competitions.

When US player Bobby Fischer hit the world scene in the early 1970s, the number of chess players worldwide doubled, and 10 year old Paul was one of the newcomers. He has been a member of the Club since at least 1980, with his name being engraved as winner 22 times on numerous cups and trophies, a Club record. He also served as the President for 12 years.

He has played competitions in South America, Malta, China, Malaysia, Palau and Australia. He played in the 3rd IGB Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysia Open Chess Championship in 2006 coming 69th= from 85 players, scoring 4/11 in a very strong field with 22 Masters, and in the 4th IGB Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysia Open Chess Championship in 2007 coming 60th= from 87 players, scoring 4.5/11 in a very strong field with 30 Masters. He also played in the Ambassador Marino Cup in 2007 in the Palau Islands, which is northwest of Papua New Guinea, achieving 3rd place with 6/9. He played in the Sydney International Open in March 2008, coming 62nd= from 106 players, scoring 4/9 in a very strong field with 30 Masters. His first round game was against a Grandmaster, with New Zealand's only Grandmaster Murray Chandler coming 13th= on 6, and International Master Puchen Wang coming 19th= on 5.5.

He has organised countless events in New Zealand. He was the Chief Organiser for the Queenstown Chess Classic in 2006, and is again in 2009. He is the only New Zealander to be recognised as an International Chess Organiser by the World Chess Federation.

He says the popularity of chess among young people faces some serious competition from computer gaming and its lucrative prize money, but he feels positive about the future of chess in New Zealand. “It looks very promising. We have a number of talented young players,” says Paul, heralding the talents of 18 year old Puchen Wang who is now aiming to become New Zealand’s second Grandmaster.

With around 30 clubs active across the country, Paul says chess has a lot to recommend it. “It takes a lot of skills: discipline, strategy and planning skills you can apply to other areas. But it’s also an international language – you can travel anywhere in the world and meet people.”

Howick and Pakuranga Times "Howick player becomes NZ chess leader".

 
      Stan Yee (right) with mate Alan Nobilo                Jim Benson and Stan Yee at Jim's BBQ
                Photo by Stan Yee                                    Photo by Stan Yee

Above Left When Stan is not working, studying or playing chess he goes riding with Alan on their Honda Firestorm VTR 1000's. Yes, the bikes and suits are exactly the same! "Chess is almost as exciting as motorbikes!"

Above Right At Jim's now famous Waitangi Day BBQ 2008. It was here on Waitangi Day 2006 that Jim coaxed, coerced and persuaded Stan to return to chess, having not touched a chess clock since 1984. Jim was recently elected as the Patron of the New Zealand Chess Federation. The chess clock was a gift from
GB Simon Ward of Christchurch, after Stan billeted him for the 2008 New Zealand Major Open in Auckland, and is being put to good use!

Six Degrees of Separation Stan Yee and Ross Jackson are cousins. Ross' great grandfather and Stan's great grandfather were brothers. Soon after Stan and Karen married they realised Stan had a cousin, Ross, so invited Ross and Lin for lunch. During the conversation Lin mentioned that she flatted in London with another Kiwi, named Lynne. Karen said she has a sister in London named Lynne, and asked what was her surname. Yes, it was her sister that Lin flatted with! Lin and Ross later married.

Stan was a member of the Wellington Chess Club. Ross is currently a member of the same Club.
The Club premises is in the building that previously housed the Alexander Turnbull Library (since moved to the National Library), where Ross' grandfather Yue Henry Jackson's memoirs as Chinese Consul to New Zealand were stored.
Stan and Ross had exactly the same NZCF standard rating of 1770 from January to June 2007.
Stan's NZCF rating code is 3111, Ross' is 4333.
The only game they have played against each other was drawn.
Ross and Stan are both involved in chess administration.





Howick-Pakuranga Chess Club members are welcome to add their non-chess profiles and jpg files by emailing
Webmaster Stan Yee stanyee@ihug.co.nz



Club Schedule

ISP Access Service Provider