Chessventures

02/09/2026

Four and a half years and 29 FIDE rated events later, since my first official tournament as an arbiter, I am delighted and proud to have been awarded the International Arbiter (IA) title by FIDE (the world chess federation).

Those 29 events include 2 Grandmaster (GM) Norm events, 1 International Master (IM) Norm event, 1 continental championships and 7 national championships and took place in Invercargill, Christchurch, Wellington, New Plymouth and Auckland (plus one Hybrid event with 10 teams across NZ/Australia and Malaysia).

Thanks to everyone who has been involved in my journey, but particular thanks to IA Craig Hall, also Paul Spiller and IA Bob Gibbons.

And also to my family for allowing me to spend weeks away from home pursuing a passion of mine.

22/08/2026

chessventures - keeping people dry in wet weather since 2020!!

So, if you are in Invercargill, come along to XO Kids this afternoon (9 Tay Street) and play some chess.

Full details of the tournament here:

https://www.facebook.com/share/14kA7D5hz5L/

22/08/2026

Hobby Chess Onsite Rapid Chess Tournament

Details 6 Round Swiss Tournament 15 Minutes Per Player No Age Limit For Kids… Adults… Everyone! Format Three divisions based on your strength. Use your Tornelo rating, FIDE rating, Chess.com rating, or Lichess rating when choosing your division. If unsure, just register and we will help you find the right division. Arbiter: Mr. Roshan Gallage (FIDE Instructor, National Arbiter & APC Coach)...

https://chessventures.co.nz/event/hobby-chess-onsite-rapid-chess-tournament/

Details 6 Round Swiss Tournament 15 Minutes Per Player No Age Limit For Kids… Adults… Everyone! Format Three divisions based on your strength. Use your Tornelo rating, FIDE rating, Chess.com rating…

17/08/2026

INVERCARGILL

Another reminder - 4 tournaments left for 2026 - please see the image for dates.

Full details will be in the Facebook events links, please see other posts for those.

01/08/2026

The chessventures Southland Chess Academy has it's 2nd academy session this Sunday the 2nd 4-6pm.

There are still a few places for tomorrow's session, so please let me know if your child wants to attend.

Richie - [email protected]

More info about the academy here:

Introducing the chessventures Southland Chess Academy Whilst monthly chess tournaments offer players the chance to compete against their peers, they are not held or attended regularly enough to rea…

21/07/2026

Something of interest to some of you. This course is part of the NZCF Online Chess School.

Join FIDE Instructor Ishan Wiratunga for a 6 session course entitled:

Pawn Structures & Middlegame Plans: Building an Opening Repertoire That Fits Your Style

Build an opening repertoire based on understanding, not memorisation. This six-week course helps players rated 1200–1800 connect opening choices with pawn structures, middlegame plans, and their own playing style.

Master key concepts:
• Identifying your playing style
• Understanding common pawn structures
• Typical middlegame plans from popular openings
• Choosing openings that suit your strengths
• Building a practical, sustainable repertoire
• Learning from model grandmaster games

Course Details:
• Saturday, 25 July - 29 August 2026
• 9:15 to 10:35am (NZT)
• Online (Zoom)
• $50 per student

Signup here: https://forms.office.com/r/spqvWtAq69

Brought to you by the NZCF Online Chess School