Chess players from across New Zealand will descend on Nelson next month as the South Island Chess Championships return to the city for the first time in almost 20 years.
The 33rd championships will be held at the Rutherford Hotel from 30 September to 4 October, with about 80 players expected and about 700 games played across the five-day event.
Despite the name, the tournament is open to players from throughout New Zealand.
“The two most prestigious tournaments that we have is the North Island and the South Island championships, but the entire country is invited,” organiser Rami Riachi says.
It is only the third time Nelson has hosted the championships, with the last time being in 2007.
“Bringing the championships back to Nelson after almost two decades really is a huge moment for our community and proof of how much chess here has grown since 2007.”
The championships comprise two tournaments: a four-day classical event followed by a one-day rapid championship.
Rami says classical chess is the slower, more traditional form of competitive play, giving players time to work through complex positions. The rapid tournament on the final day is much faster, with 25 minutes per player and 10 seconds added per move.
There is a minimum prize pool of $1,500 across the two tournaments.
Players of all ages and abilities are welcome, with Rami expecting about half the field to come from Nelson Tasman and the rest from elsewhere in New Zealand.
For the first time in Nelson, smart chessboards will be used to broadcast selected games online. Each evening, the game of the day will also be projected onto the side of the Rutherford Hotel, alongside highlights from the history of the Nelson Chess Club.
“Nelson Chess Club is one of the oldest chess clubs in New Zealand. The first time that they met was in 1854, so we're going to be putting up a couple of highlights,” Rami says.
The championships come as chess continues to grow across the region.
Rami has been running chess in Nelson for four years. In his first year, tournaments attracted between 10 and 20 people. Today, some events draw almost 300 participants, with junior chess driving much of that growth.
Several schools from Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough will represent the Top of the South at the 2026 Interschool Nationals, which will be held in Nelson next year.
For Rami, seeing young players develop has been one of the highlights.
“Some of my students that I started coaching four years ago… their journey has been crazy and some of them are very good right now.”
He says that the growth has been a team effort.
“I’m very proud. It’s not a one-person job, some are volunteers so it’s definitely teamwork, and we are a community.”
Rami first fell in love with chess when he was 12, in Argentina. He later played professionally in Argentina and New Zealand before discovering he enjoyed teaching the game as much as competing.
That passion has led to coaching, workshops and courses in Nelson, Richmond, Māpua and Motueka.
“I think that chess is so valuable and can give you a lot of skills for life. The idea is to bring chess to the community and to empower different skills.”
The club is also looking beyond the championships. It played its first online New Zealand versus India teams match on 8 August and won. Next month, the inaugural Van Ginkel–Van Dijk Cup will honour John van Ginkel and Peter van Dijk for their contribution to chess in Nelson.
Rami is already looking further ahead, with hopes of bringing the Oceania Zonal Chess Championships to Nelson.
Players wanting to take part in the South Island Chess Championships can email play@chessinnelson.com
