For Rami Riachi’s students, toppling his king is the ultimate victory.
“The big prize is if they can beat me,” he laughs – and occasionally, he lets them.
Rami has been a professional chess player since he was 11 years old, and he is eager to pass on the skills – but not the anxiety – to as many other chess enthusiasts as he can.
The Argentinian-born man has been in New Zealand for seven years, the last four of which he has spent in Nelson where he quickly became involved in the local chess scene.
A chess coach through his business Chess in Nelson, Rami says that he loves imparting the skills of patience, creativity, sportsmanship and lateral thinking through his teachings.
“It’s not just about the game, but how they can replicate that into the world,” he says.
He teaches both children and adults and reckons that the thought process is very different with each.
Adults, with their longer concentration spans, can play a single game that lasts for several hours, whereas children want the more instant gratification of zipping through the game and playing over and over, he says.
He also enjoys working with children who are on the spectrum, admiring their unique thought processes.
“They can be really, really, really creative.”
Rami is the president of the Nelson Chess Club and the arbitrator of the upcoming Cole Cup, a chess competition that is open to Nelson-Tasman residents.
Rami says that the chess club is 160 years old this September, and the Cole Cup, named after Nelson’s Cole brothers who were pioneers in the local chess scene, is in its 60th year.
Rami is determined that the tournament – and the sport as a whole – be accessible for everyone, “from six years old to 60 years old”.
He has sourced chess sets for vision-impaired people, with tactile pieces that are fixed in place to the board so that they can be explored by touch.
The tournament is split into three age-group categories – junior for primary students, youth for intermediate-aged kids, and open for everyone else. Due to his increased involvement in schools around the district, Rami is expecting the numbers to grow from 40 to around 60 this year.
The games are played using a Swiss six-round system, whereby each player has a maximum of 20 minutes per game, to use however they wish. Most games will finish with the traditional checkmate, but players must also be careful not run out of time. Points are awarded and added depending on the outcome of each game.
Prizes include medals, online chess subscriptions, certificates, and a chess book, as well as an engraved acknowledgement on the esteemed Cole Cup itself.
The tournament is scheduled for Saturday, 8 June, 8:30am-3:00pm at the Victory Community Centre, 2 Totara St, Nelson.
Players can register online here. Early-bird fees are $20 per adult and $15 per student, with a $5 per person increase if registering on the day.
For further information, email ramiroriachi@gmail.com
