Author: harthousechess

2025 Hart House Club Championship

Published on by harthousechess

The Hart House Chess Club is proud to announce that we will host the Hart House Club Championship this year on October 25th-October 26th, 2025. This is a 5-round Classical Swiss tournament to crown the strongest player at Hart House in 2025—the coveted title of Hart House Club Champion is on the line!

Please note that this event is open exclusively to current UofT students and alumni.

Join us for two days of competitive chess, tradition, and community at Hart House!

Tournament Details

  • When: Saturday, October 25th – Sunday, October 26th
  • Schedule:

Check-in: 9:00 am – 9:30 am October 25th
Round 1:  9:30 am October 25th
Round 2:  12:45 pm October 25th
Round 3:  4:00 pm October 25th
Round 4:  9:30 am October 26th
Round 5:  12:45 pm October 26th

  • Format: 5-round CFC-rated, FIDE-rated, Swiss Tournament
  • Location: 7 Hart House Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 3H3 – Burwash Room
  • Time Control: 60 mins + 30  secs/move increment
  • Capacity: 30 players
  • Equipment: HHCC will supply all chess equipment
  • Prizes: Trophy for the Hart House Club Champion
  • Entry Fees: Free entry.
  • Registration: online registration or in-person at the Hart House Information Hub by Wednesday, October 22nd at 11:59 pm. No onsite registration. If you are alumni, please email hhchess@studentorg.utoronto.ca to register to avoid paying any fees.
  • Arbiters: TBA
  • Organizers: Hart House Chess Club
  • Byes: Upto one 1/2 point bye if requested by 11:59 pm on October 24 for rounds 1-3. Only 0 point byes for rounds 4 and 5.

Standings, Pairings

Link to pairings, standings

Pre-registered

Last updated: Oct. 20, 2025

Starting RankPlayer’s NameCFC IDCFC RegularFIDE Regular
1Mark Plotkin14108624902353
2Sergey Noritsyn14689324812298
3Koosha Jaferian17431823822248
4Duc Minh Lai19661023742121
5Samuel Zhang17114723332144
6Nicolai Woltery19079722462128
7Bingfei Wang17244422011961
8Sander MiesenN/AUnr.1942
9Ethan Moon15015421441930
10Cindy Qiao15586420651899
11Jack Klein19252620451898
12Riyaan Lakhani17798920001862
13Tom Gribilas18597819611778
14Christopher Yu16732117831697
15Jinglai He16699217571658
16Ryder Lin18596117191601
17Luc Chamberland10734617081669
18Kathryn Shon1961781339Unr.
19Vikram Rawal1696901203Unr.
20Akmal Abu BakarN/AUnr.Unr.
21WeiPing (Allen) Hsiao197784Unr.Unr.
22Hasnain SyedN/AUnr.Unr.
23Sophy LeungN/AUnr.Unr.
24Samuel ShinN/AUnr.Unr.
25Irmuunkhuslen Badrakhbayar197232Unr.Unr.

2025-26 First Year Representative Election

Published on by harthousechess

Attention all First-Year Students!

An election will be held to elect the First-Year Representative for Fall/Winter 2025-26.

The First-Year Representative is responsible for “working to ensure the voices of first-year students are heard and represented. The First-Year Representative may work to organize activities that are specifically tailored to the needs of first-year students, such as introductory workshops and beginner chess tournaments. The First-Year Representative serves as a mentor and resource for first-year members who may be new to chess or new to the Club. The First-Year Representative provides guidance and support to help these members feel welcomed and included in the Club, and they also help to facilitate connections between first-year members and more experienced players. The First-Year Representative plays a role in creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for first-year members and ensuring that they have a positive and enjoyable experience with the Club,” according to the Constitution of the Hart House Chess Club.

UPDATE: Please view the list of nominees here.

Eligibility

All first-year students at University of Toronto are eligible to run for election for this position.  A candidate for the position of First-Year Representative is not required to be a member of the Club for one month before the election.

All club student members have the right to vote. To become a member, students can sign up here.

Important Dates

Students interested in the First-Year Representative position are asked to email the Alumni Chair at elections@harthousechess.com expressing interest, a short bio/background, and candidate statement by  September 22nd at 11:59 pm. They are asked to include [HHCC Elections] as the subject of the email.

If there are two or more candidates for a position, a vote will be held to determine the successful candidate on September 26th at 7 pm in-person in the Hart House Reading Room. The voting is done by secret ballot.

The electoral process will be administered by the club’s Alumni Chair, Ben Hahn. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Hahn at elections@harthousechess.com, indicating [HHCC Elections] as the subject of your email.

Hart House Chess Club is an open and inclusive environment. There is no requirement to be good at the game of chess to run for the first year representative. Everyone is encouraged to nominate themselves. As a positive space we welcome and encourage members of all sexes, genders, sexual orientations, ethnicities, languages, abilities, religions and creeds to participate in the student government of the club, either as members of the executive or as volunteers! 

Thank you very much for your attention!

Winter 2025 Lessons

Published on by harthousechess

The Hart House Chess Club is pleased to announce the Fall 2025 Lessons Schedule! All Lessons will be held in the Bickersteth Room of Hart House. All are free to attend or participate for Members of the Club.

Lessons: This Winter, join us on Fridays throughout the semester for exciting lessons and lectures to help you become a better player. Members are entitled to free lessons this winter, provided by expert lecturers and experienced players. 

*Please note that although the coach names are very similar they are DIFFERENT people 🙂

Lessons Details

Beginner Lessons: 

  • Prior chess experience is not required, and pace will be adjusted based on class strength. Interactive sessions, informative demonstrations, resources, and discussions will be provided to help students learn how to play. 6 lessons will be offered, and participants can still learn from them even if they miss a class. Registration is required for all prospective attendees.
  • Where: Hart House, Bickersteth Room (Third Floor)
  • Lessons will be taught by: Samuel Zheng (FIDE 1830)
  • Registration: Registration is required. Participants may join at any time throughout if space is available. Please email us at hhchess@studentorg.utoronto.ca to register.
  • Schedule: 4:00 to 5:30 pm on the following Fridays
    • February 13, 27
    • March 6, 13, 20, 27

Intermediate Lessons: 

  • The expected audience is players who are looking to up their game. Players are expected to know fundamental ideas of piece movement, basic strategies of chess, and calculation methods. 7 lessons will be offered and participants can still learn something if they miss a class. All participants are expected to be members of the Hart House Chess Club.
  • Where: Hart House, Bickersteth Room (Third Floor)
  • Registration: Registration is required. However, participants can join at any point during the lesson schedule. Please email us to register.
  • Lessons will be taught by: Samuel Zhang (CFC 2313)
  • Schedule: 5:30 pm to 7 pm on the following Fridays
    • February 13, 27
    • March 6, 13, 20, 27

2025 Back-to-School Blitz and Pizza Party

Published on by harthousechess

Welcome back to a new school year! The Hart House Chess Club is hosting its Back-To-School Blitz and Pizza Party on Friday, September 5th, 2025. At 6 pm, come to Hart House to indulge in pizza, meet this year’s Executives, ask questions, and learn about our offerings this upcoming year. After that, join the first blitz tournament of the fall at Hart House! We’re playing 9 rounds of 3 minutes + 2 seconds blitz chess! We hope to see you there!

FORMAT AND EVENT DETAILS

  • WHEN:
    • Welcome Back Pizza: Friday, September 5th 6 pm – 7 pm – Reading Room
      • RSVP required by 6 pm, Thursday, September 4th, see this form
    • Blitz Event: Friday, September 6th, 7 pm – 9:30 pm
      • Registration onsite between 4 pm and 6:45 pm. 
  • WHERE: Hart House (7 Hart House Cir, Toronto) – East Common Room.
  • WHAT: 9-round Blitz Event (Swiss), with a 3 minute + 2 second time control. One section. Unrated
  • RATED: Unrated
  • ENTRY FEE: Free for members, Free for students & community. Non members are ineligible for prizes. 
  • PRIZE FUND: Guaranteed $200. Distribution announced onsite. Prizes for top-woman, top-unrated.
  • MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 60 players.
  • NOTE: chess sets and boards provided
  • REGISTRATION
    • All pizza must be RSVP. Students + members are free to RSVP online via form before 6pm, September 4th
    • Blitz only in-person before 7 pm. 

Pairings + Standings can be found below:

https://www.chessmanager.com/tournaments/6023846275317760

2026 PanAms Qualifier

Published on by harthousechess

The Club will be holding a qualifying tournament from September 13th-14th to select players to represent the University of Toronto at the Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Championships to be held next year in Chicago, Illinois Jan 2nd – 5th, 2026. Travel and accommodation will be covered partially by HHCC.

PANAM INFO:

The annual Pan American Intercollegiate Chess Championship is the pinnacle of international collegiate chess. Dubbed the “World Series of College Chess”, the Club had fundraised and fielded teams to the tournament every year since 1965 (less COVID restricted years). The storied championship pits the best collegiate chess teams against one another from the North and South Americas. The Hart House Chess Club, representing the University of Toronto, has won the championship 6 times, the most from any non-American school.

Pan-Am-Qualifiers SCHEDULE:

Time Control:  60 minutes + 30 seconds increment

Check-in: 9:00 am – 9:30 am September 13th
Round 1:  9:30 am September 13th
Round 2:  12:45 pm September 13th
Round 3:  4:00 pm September 13th
Round 4:  9:30 am September 14th
Round 5:  12:45 pm September 14th
Tiebreaks (if needed)  4:00 pm September 14th

0-point-byes are in effect.  Players are expected to play all rounds.
Forced byes will be awarded 1 point.

No draw offers allowed before move 40.

Players are required to check-in by 9:30 am to be paired for Round 1.

Ratings will be used for seeding/pairing purposes but the tournament itself will not be rated with the Chess Federation of Canada.

REGISTRATION: available online here before 10th September, 11:59 PM , or in-person at the Hart House Info Desk. Registration is also available in-person before 9:20 am day of the event with valid proof of student enrollment.
WHAT: Unrated 5 Round Swiss Tournament with a 60 min + 30 sec increment time control.
COST: Free
WHERE: Hart House Reading Room
ELIGIBILITY: Current U of T students.

For more info, see the event report from last year’s PanAms in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The tournament will select 8 players based on final standings to represent the Hart House Chess Club and the University of Toronto at this year’s Pan-Ams. A mandatory fee of $250 for all participants is required and paid before end-of-September, however, the Club will cover the rest of fundraising costs. We ask that you only play in the qualifier tournament if you want to play in the Pan-Ams.

Pre-Registered Players

NameCFC IDFIDE ID
Cindy Qiao1558642620243
Nicolai Woltery190797436887
Ethan Moon1501542637022
Bingfei Wang1724448618585
Jayden Tan1793332663660
Samuel Zheng169160N/A
Samuel Zhang17114730942993
Yukuan Zou1781532658615
Tom Gribilas 1859782659760
Andria WongN/A6003982
Roman Krukowski1962482678446
Brook Mao1660332632586
Levon EttibaryanN/A2619091
Parth Bhasin190553N/A
Sergey Noritsyn1468932616408
Chol Elijah Akol179537N/A
Denver Martin1911782672634
Irmuunkhuslen BadrakhbayarN/AN/A
Jack Klein19252630978467
Joshua Bakradze1774442648415

Pairings & Standings

https://www.chessmanager.com/tournaments/6480616986771456

Tiebreaks

https://www.chessmanager.com/tournaments/5909700741431296

2025 July Bullet Championship

Published on by harthousechess

Stop by July 25th for this year’s Hart House Chess Club’s Bullet Championship tournament! 1+1 time control with 9 double rounds makes this an exhilarating event! Are you fast at calculating? Test your nerves in one of the only in-person bullet tournaments in Canada. New members and non-members welcome!

FORMAT AND EVENT DETAILS

  • WHEN: Friday, July 25th, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm.
  • WHERE: Hart House (7 Hart House Cir, Toronto) – Reading Room.
  • WHAT: 9-round double-round Bullet Event (Swiss), with a 1 minute + 1 second time control.
  • RATED: Unrated
  • ENTRY FEE: Free for members (free for students), $5 for non-members, free for titled players. Register onsite 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm.
  • PRIZE FUND: Guaranteed $150. Paid via gift cards.
  • MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 50 players.
  • EQUIPMENT: Chess sets and boards provided

CONTACT:

Any questions can be sent to: hhchess@studentorg.utoronto.ca

For more info, see last year’s event here.

Pairings: https://www.chessmanager.com/tournaments/4884579939516416

2025 Summer Rapid and Blitz

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The Hart House Chess Club is hosting a Summer Rapid and Blitz Festival this July 5-6! The event is a 7-round double-round blitz tournament on Saturday, July 5th followed by a 6-round Rapid event on Sunday, July 6th. Come join us this summer for some fun! 

Tournament Details

Blitz

  • WHEN: Saturday, July 5
  • WHERE: Hart House Debates Room, (7 Hart House Circle, Toronto, ON)
  • FORMAT: 7 double-round Swiss Tournament
  • ROUND TIMES:  Rd #1 at 5 PM, and then ASAP (ending around 9 pm)
  • TIME CONTROL:  3 minutes + 2 seconds increment per move
  • SECTIONS: Crown, U1600
  • RATING: CFC Quick Rated and FIDE Blitz Rated (Crown)
  • EQUIPMENT: HHCC will supply all chess equipment
  • CAPACITY: 80
  • PRIZES: $800 based on 80 fully paid entries
  • REGISTRATION: Online
  • ARBITERS: FA Victor Zheng, NA Deepanshi Matai

RAPID

  • WHEN: Sunday, July 6 
  • WHERE: Hart House Debates Room, (7 Hart House Circle, Toronto, ON)
  • FORMAT: 6 round Swiss Tournament
  • ROUND TIMES:  10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 noon, 1:00 PM, lunch, 3:00 PM, 4:00 PM
  • TIME CONTROL: 15 minutes + 10 seconds increment per move
  • SECTIONS: Crown, U1800, U1200
  • RATING: CFC Quick Rated and FIDE Rapid Rated (Crown, U1800)
  • BYES: Up to two 1/2-point byes for rounds 1-4 if requested before 9:30 AM on Sunday, July 6. 0-point byes only for rounds 5 and 6. Any byes requested for any round after 9:30 AM will also be 0-point byes.
  • EQUIPMENT: HHCC will supply all chess equipment
  • CAPACITY: 80
  • PRIZES: $1600 based on 80 fully paid entries
  • REGISTRATION: Online
  • ARBITERS: FA Victor Zheng, NA Deepanshi Matai

Registration Details

  • Entry Fees:
    • Blitz only: $20 by June 27th midnight, $25 by July 3rd midnight. $10 discount for UofT students. Onsite: $30 before 4:00 PM if space permits.
    • Rapid only: $40 by June 27th midnight, $45 by July 3rd midnight. $15 discount for UofT students. No onsite registration. 
    • Rapid and Blitz: $45 by June 27th midnight, $50 by July 3rd midnight. $20 discount for UofT students. 
    • Free entry for GM/WGMs/IMs/WIMs by June 27th — email us for details.
  • Section Eligibility: No playing up allowed. Highest of CFC Regular, CFC Quick, and FIDE Rapid/Blitz will be used for section eligibility at arbiters’ discretion. CFC Quick Ratings will be used for pairings.
  • Prize Payments: All prizes less than $100 will be paid via gift cards (direct deposit is available via request.) Prizes greater than or equal to $100 will be paid via direct deposit. 
  • Email: hhchess@studentorg.utoronto.ca

Chess Federation of Canada Memberships are required: $12 for a one-time adult, or $48 for one year. https://www.chess.ca/en/players/membership-join/

Appeals Procedure here.

PRE-REGISTERED PLAYERS

Please click here for a list of players. (Accurate as of 10:00 AM on Friday, June 27)

Chess-Results

Summer 2025 Lessons

Published on by harthousechess

The Hart House Chess Club is pleased to announce the Summer 2025 Lessons Schedule! All Lessons will be held in the Bickersteth Room of Hart House. All are free to attend or participate for Members of the Club.

Lessons: This Summer, join us on Fridays throughout the semester for exciting lessons and lectures to help you become a better player. Members are entitled to free lessons this winter provided by expert lecturers and experienced players. 

Lessons Details

Beginner Lessons: 

  • Prior chess experience is not required and pace will be adjusted based off class strength. Interactive sessions, informative demonstrations, resources, and discussions will be provided to help students learn how to play. 10 lessons will be offered and participants can still learn something if they miss a class. Registration is required for all prospective attendees.
  • Where: Bickersteth Room, Hart House
  • Lessons will be taught by: Samuel Zhang (CFC 2322)
  • Registration: Registration is required. Participants may join at any time throughout if space is available. Please email us to register.
  • Schedule: 4:00 to 5:30 pm on the following Fridays
    • June 6, 13, 20, 27
    • July 4, 11, 18, 25
    • August 1, 8

Intermediate Lessons: 

  • The expected audience are players who are looking to up their game. Players are expected to know fundamental ideas of piece movement, basic strategies of chess, and calculation methods. 10 lessons will be offered and participants can still learn something if they miss a class. All participants are expected to be members of the Hart House Chess Club.
  • Where: Bickersteth Room, Hart House
  • Registration: Registration is required. However, participants can join at any point during the lesson schedule. Please email us to register.
  • Lessons will be taught by: Fengxi Map (FIDE 2202)
  • Schedule: 5:30 pm to 7 pm on the following Fridays
    • June 6, 13, 20, 27
    • July 4, 11, 18, 25
    • August 1, 8

Header photo: IM Advait Patel conducting a special lecture at Hart House on April 1st, 2024. Photo by Deepanshi Matai.

Cindy Qiao – Events Coordinator

Published on by harthousechess

Cindy is a fourth-year Computer Science undergraduate at the University of Toronto. As the Events Coordinator, she is dedicated to enhancing the student experience at major tournaments such as the Pan American Collegiate Chess Championships and the Canadian Universities’ Chess Championships—events in which she has competed for many years herself.

Cindy grew up with an inquisitive mind and a passion for solving puzzles—chess just happens to be one of her favourites. She began playing competitively at age 9 and earned her Women’s FIDE Master title just two years later. To this day, the game continues to captivate her with its demand for innovative, strategic thinking. When she’s not immersed in bullet, blitz, or even bughouse, you’ll find her exploring new tastes and chasing fresh adventures.

She is excited to be a part of the Hart House Chess Club executive team this year and views it as another step towards shaping the chess club she has grown up with.

Summer Casual Blitz

Published on by harthousechess

The Hart House Chess Club is hosting a Casual Blitz tournament on Friday, May 23rd, 2025. Join the Hart House Chess Club for an exciting 7-double-round tournament! We’re playing 7 rounds of 3 minutes + 2 seconds blitz starting at 7 pm! We hope to see you there!

Format and Event Details

  • WHEN: Friday, May 23rd, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm.
  • WHERE: Hart House (7 Hart House Cir, Toronto) – East Common Room.
  • WHAT: 7-double-round Blitz Event (Swiss), with a 3 minute + 2 seconds increment per move time control. One section.
  • RATED: Unrated
  • ENTRY FEE: Free for members, free for non-members but ineligible for prizes. Register onsite before 7pm.
  • PRIZE FUND: Guaranteed $250. Distribution announced onsite. Prizes for top-woman, top-unrated. Note all prizes paid via Gift Cards. 
  • SPECIAL PRIZES: All participants will be entered into a door prize for HHCC merch. 
  • MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 60 players.
  • EQUIPMENT: Chess sets and boards provided

Prize Fund

First: $100
Second: $60
Third: $30

Top-Woman: $20
Top-Unrated: $20

Contact:

Any questions can be sent to: hhchess@studentorg.utoronto.ca

Pairings, Standings, Crosstables:

https://www.chessmanager.com/tournaments/6196706480488448