This is what GM Yuan had to say on hearing of the entry of Darryl Johansen.

“I just quickly checked my database for head to head encounters. We have played ten times at classical time controls. Darryl leads with four wins, one loss and five draws. Probably we haven’t played each other quite so many times because we live in different states and are of a different generation. I seem to meet Darryl at the Australian Open or the Australian Championships. I am obviously hoping to keep improving my overall score.

I have learned a lot through the years by watching Darryl play, particularly at Olympiads he really puts on some maestro performance. I remember a game he showed me I Sokolov – Johansen (Nimzo-Indian) which has made a deep impression on me. I really admire his deep sense of strategy and positional play. I believe in this arena he is still the man to look up to in Australian chess for players in the younger generations.”

updates on www.chessvictoria.org.au

A fantastic afternoon (Sunday 18th September) with ten boards manned by both clubs. A close run result for the top four boards (which count for the Victorian interclub competition) with Geelong narrowly taking the points with one win and three draws.

On the other six boards Geelong achieved an unprecedented five wins to one loss.

Members of both clubs expressed an interest in running such an event in future, format and other details still to be decided.

Charles Zworestine has been appointed chief arbiter.

Michael Sugrue defeats Stephen Fletcher in a playoff.

There are two prominent entries so far Zong-Yuan Zhao grandmaster 2583 and George Xie International Master 2478.

All Geelong chess club members are invited to an interclub competition with the Ballarat chess club to be held on the 18th September 2011 starting 2pm in Ballarat. The history of interclub rivalry can be traced back as far as 1925.