Perrin a key piece of city’s chess play

THIS September, Kevin Perrin will play his fifty fifth Ballarat Chess Club Championship.

Discovering a love of the game at about 12 years old, he’s competed in the local tournament annually since it first began in 1966 from the front loungeroom of then-president, Andy Miitel’s Urquhart Street home.

“I used to look at the chess column in The Weekly Times with interest and work out how to move the pieces,” he said.

“When I found out the Chess Club was restarting up in Ballarat in 1966, I went along to the meetings, and then played in the first Championship of the Club’s new era.

“I’ve since won the Championship seven times, and have come close with a couple of runner-up positions.”

In the decades since, the life member has served in Club administrative roles including president for a year, secretary and for the last 24 years, treasurer.

Mr Perrin has been tournament director of BCC’s “major event,” the Begonia Open, and the arbiter of the 1988 World Junior Chess Championship in Adelaide.

“I’ve always been involved in that side of the Club more so than as a player. I get as much joy out of making sure things tick along.

“As chief arbiter, you get to be involved with some of the best and highest rated players in Australia, and often overseas visiting players as well,” Mr Perrin said.

But throughout, he has continued to enjoy each experience as a competitor, and the “mental approach” needed to sit down and face any opposition.

“It’s all about using different strategies to achieve a position you can outwit your opponent with. It challenges your mind, and for young people, it helps them think and plan ahead.

“I’ve never played two games the same. Every game is different after a few moves… and you’ve got a challenge,” Mr Perrin said.

“The Club’s strongest player is very good, and we all strive to beat him, so that increases our level of competition.”

A retired accountant, Mr Perrin formerly ran his own practice in Ballarat. Other than chess and his family, accounting was “always the other strong influence.”

Both strategy and planning have been key parts of his professional and chess playing lives.

“When you’re developing a business plan in an accounting practice for a client, you may well apply the same strategies to chess, like lateral thinking and considering what your opponent or business competitor might do,” he said.

“If you just play your own game and don’t consider what your chess opponent is going to do, you’ll lose pretty quickly.

“It’s similar in business. You need to consider others… and actions you can take to defend against them, or attack against them.”

The 55th Ballarat Chess Club Championship is a round robin event to be held online from today, Thursday, 24 September to December, to ensure players are COVID-safe.

The Championship will run each Thursday night for 11 weeks from 7.30pm, with 50 people competing throughout.

“Some players will be joining in from Melbourne and other regional areas who are past Club champions, so this tournament will be quite strong,” Mr Perrin said.

The competition has previously been held in the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Humffray Room.