Over the long May weekend, I participated in my first over-the-board (OTB) chess tournament: the 2025 Ontario Open Chess Championship.
I Tied for 6th and Got a Bit Unlucky
To my surprise, I tied for 6th place with 3.5 out of 6 points in a 21-player U1200 group. My original goal was just to score at least one point, so I far exceeded my expectations.
As the results table shows, I was a bit unlucky too. My only two losses were against the players who finished 1st and 2nd in the section. Both were unrated but turned out to be incredibly strong; each has a 2000+ rating on Chess.com. Tough pairings, but part of the game.
Despite that, I’m genuinely happy with how I performed and my strong finish.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Overall, I had a fantastic experience. It was exciting to compete and be surrounded by others passionate about chess. I also found the classical time control to suit me perfectly; I blunder less and find great moves when I have time to think deeply. The switch from 2D to 3D play wasn’t a problem, though I’m now tempted to get a tournament-sized Chessnut board or a nice wooden set for practice.
I won my first-ever chess tournament game by checkmate, which felt pretty cool.
Socially, the event was also rewarding. I had great conversations and even started friendships with some amazing people (shout-out to Jules Minaker, Joshua Ghent, and Gabriel Mombach). I was also impressed by the kids; their talent, enthusiasm, and the supportive parents behind them were truly inspiring. If I ever have a child, I’d gladly support them in pursuing this hobby if they’re interested.
I now have my first CFC (Canadian Chess Federation) rating: 1168. I think it’s a little underrated for where I’m at, but it qualifies me for U1200 and U1300 chess tournaments, so that’s useful.
Chess Tournament Lessons and Reflections
Despite having a full month to prepare, work kept me so busy that I essentially showed up to the tournament with no real preparation. In fact, the idea that helped me win a crucial game came from a YouTube video I happened to watch that very morning while getting ready. Next time, I’ll definitely make it a priority to set aside dedicated time for prep in the weeks leading up to the event.
There were a few moments I’d handle differently next time. One game involved a young girl who offered me a draw. She had an extra piece, but I had strong attacking chances. Coming off a loss to the second-place finisher, I accepted the draw. In hindsight, this was potentially a mistake. (BTW, she is going to be a great player one day. I can already tell.)
In another game, I offered a draw that was firmly declined by another opponent; thankfully, she turned my offer down, since I ended up winning by checkmate. So the lesson is: I need to trust my positions and push when I have the initiative. There was a moment in my game against Gabriel (who placed first) where pushing my attack would have likely yielded a very surprising result. But I started playing too passively, and he ended up outplaying me.
I also noticed a few annotation errors in my game records; mostly typos, but enough to be annoying. I’ll clean those up soon.
And finally, I’ll be honest: it was physically exhausting. I felt ill at times, and my blood pressure spiked 15 points above normal from all the stress. This experience renewed my commitment to improving my health. I now fully appreciate why players like Fischer and Kasparov trained physically for the demands of classical chess.
What’s Next?
I’m not sure whether I’ll try a rapid OTB chess tournament (there are local ones available) or just stick to classical, which clearly suits me better. Either way, I’m really glad I took part in this event. It was a memorable milestone in my chess journey.