Leading chess players will converge in Victoria to battle it out in the Grand Pacific Open chess tournament, which starts today and runs until Monday.
This is the 10th year of the tournament, the third-largest of its kind in Canada, with 140 confirmed pre-registered participants so far.
The world-class event features grand master Alexandr Fier from Brazil, international master Bindi Cheng from Vancouver and local favourite World Chess Federation master Jason Cao.
Women are well represented as well, with federation master Valeria Gansvind from Sidney and Nino Maisuradze (wife of Fier) from France leading the pack.
“In total, we have more than 20 titled players taking part,” said Mark Dutton, vice-president of the Vancouver Island chapter of the B.C. Chess Federation.
“We have international players coming from Brazil, France, Russia, U.S.A. and seven of the 10 provinces.”
Dutton said the tournament could attract a record number of competitors, surpassing the 139 who contested the 2012 Canadian Open Chess Championship, which also took place in Victoria.
The main event is a six-round World Federation and Chess Federation of Canada-rated Swiss pairing system with $5,000 in prizes. Games are limited to 90 minutes, with 30-second increments.
The Victoria Youth Chess Championship will run just before the main event. Winners qualify for the Canadian Youth Championship and can move on to world events.
There will be two free side events — a Midnight Blitz with $100 in prizes and a Bughouse tournament — to complete the weekend. Spectators can watch games, which can take up to four hours, for free. Players can register on site for $100, with a $20 discount if in U1400-ranking section.
The Victoria Youth Chess Championships (for players born in 1998 or after) starts at 10 a.m. Friday. Entry costs $35 at the door.
The Grand Pacific Open starts at 6 p.m. Friday. It runs from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and from 10 a.m. on Monday in the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Grand Pacific, 463 Belleville St. For more information, go to grandpacificopen.pbworks.com or the event’s Facebook page.
Kids go hunting Easter eggs
There are enough Easter egg hunts going on around Greater Victoria to keep the kids hopping Saturday and Sunday.
One of the larger hunts is hosted by the charity Signs of Hope in Africa, which is expecting more than 3,000 eager hunters looking for 23,000 chocolate eggs at its annual event, now in its eighth year, on Sunday.
The event includes a visit from the Easter Bunny, inflatable amusements, a craft station, police and fire engines, roaming superheroes and face painting.
The hunt is one of the biggest fundraisers for the charity, which helps children and families living in the village of Jambiani in Tanzania, East Africa.
Parents can enter the raffle and tuck into a hamburger (with veggie option), hot dog, chips and a drink for $6.
Registration is not required. There is a $5 entry charge for children, 13 and under, and it is free for adults.
The event at Beckwith Park, 857 Beckwith Ave., runs, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Easter egg hunt starts at 11 a.m. for ages three and under, 11:15 a.m. for four- to six-year-olds and 11:25 for children seven and older. For information, go to signsofhopeinafrica.org.
The Mustard Seed, Vancouver Island’s largest food bank, clothing bank, church and family centre, will see its shelves fill up thanks to the Oak Bay Easter Celebration on Saturday.
This is the fourth year of the event, organized by the Tony Joe and Associates real estate team. Last year, the free event attracted more than 500 children whose parents donated nearly 100 kilograms of non-perishable food and $80 in cash.
Children can take part in candy hunts, have their picture taken with the Easter Bunny, do crafts and get their face painted. They can also have a look inside an Oak Bay Police car or Oak Bay Fire Department truck.
Candy hunt start times are: 11:30 to 11:45 a.m. for children four and under; 11:45 a.m. to noon for five- to seven-year-olds; noon to 12:15 p.m. for eight- to 10-year-olds, and 12:15 to 12:30 p.m. for children 11 and older.
The event runs 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the park behind Oak Bay Municipal Hall, 2167 Oak Bay Ave. For information, click on events at tonyjoe.ca.
Other Easter egg hunts are at Butchart Gardens (Friday to Monday); Victoria Public Market, from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, and Esquimalt Gorge Park from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, organized by the Lions Club.
Esquimalt churches invite you to Holy Week events
Take part in Holy Week services at St. Peter and St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Esquimalt from today until Sunday.
People are invited to a service of foot washing, which takes place at 5:45 p.m. today.
On Friday, there is a community prayer walk, stopping at the 14 Stations of the Cross along the route. The walk has been organized with the congregation of Esquimalt United Church.
You are invited to meet Bishop Logan McMenamie at the Songhees Wellness Centre at noon on Saturday.
The bishop has been walking from Alert Bay to Victoria for the past three weeks as part of The Sacred Journey of Reconciliation with First Nations. He will be telling stories from his journey.
Easter Sunday begins with a 7 a.m. service at Saxe Point that includes all Esquimalt churches.
Hot cross buns and other refreshments will then be served at Esquimalt United Church. A Holy Communion takes place at 8:30 a.m., with Sunday service, Eucharist and Baptism at 10:30 a.m.
All events are free to participate and take place at St. Peter and St. Paul, 1379 Esquimalt Rd or Esquimalt United Church, 500 Admirals Rd.
For more information, go to stpeterstpaul.ca.
Feather your own nests
Spring has sprung and one of the first signs of the season is birds feathering their nests for their next brood.
You can join a CRD Parks naturalist at The Best Nest!, a guided walk for children eight and younger, on Saturday.
The little ones will take part in a scavenger hunt through the forest, experiencing life as a small bird. With the items they collect, children will be shown how they can make their own nests.
The walk and activity is free. The event is wheelchair-friendly and runs from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Francis/King Regional Park in Saanich. Meet at the Nature Centre off Munn Road.
Try to arrive 10 minutes before the start of the program. Please leave pets at home. For more information, go to crd.bc.ca/parks.
World festival helps refugees
The World We Want Festival on Wednesday is an initiative of students from the University of Victoria’s schools of public administration (faculty of human and social development) and digital arts (faculty of education).
The event, which is being supported by community members, includes storytelling, music, theatre, art and videos. Proceeds from the fundraiser will go to supporting the Inter-Cultural Association Refugee program.
“Given the strong support of the City of Victoria in welcoming refugees to our beautiful city, it is entirely appropriate that the event be held at City Hall,” said Budd Hall, professor of community development in UVic’s school of public administration.
Victoria Coun. Chris Coleman will open the event. Admission is free and everyone is welcome. The festival starts at 7 p.m. in Spirit Square of Victoria City Hall, 1 Centennial Square. For details, contact [email protected].
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Note: This is a corrected version of the article.
