Through the Looking Glass – A Chess Event was an absolute hit.  It was an honor to be invited to host this during the annual ‘Taste of Park Royal’. One for the chess history books at Park Royal for sure.

HUGE THANKS TO: Park Royal Management for putting on this spectacular ‘chess event’ July 8 2017.  We simply put the boards out and over they came to play. Parents with children, men women teens, girls and boys. It was clear to Dan and I that we couldn’t interrupt the games in order to play a large simul, and that people just wanted to play chess. So we all played. The afternoon of chess continued until near closing 7:00 pm. Not an empty seat at the tables.

HUGE THANKS TO: Master chess champ DAN SCOONES for his mad hatter chess moves and excellent hosting skills. It wouldn’t have been the same without him. Stellar performance, charm and high energy stole the show throughout the day.

HUGE THANKS TO: Pedram Amani and his mother Zahra. Both for excellent chess skills and amazing hosting. Pedram is my class mate. He runs the chess club with me and is organizer of scholastic chess in West Vancouver.  He is also a physics genius, and came 1st in Canada. Pedram is off to a world competition this weekend in Indonesia. Good luck Pedram! He is a 1st year university student and plans a career in experimental physics. You guessed it Pedram wants to play more chess. Makes total sense, and he is good.

HUGE THANKS TO: West Vancouver Secondary School Chess Club and Sentinel Chess Club for letting us use their chess boards.

Pedram Amani and the Mad Hatter from The Vancouver Circus School

MANY THANKS TO The Vancouver Circus School for being there. Amazing THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS talent. The characters had a photo booth offering the public free photos taken with them. Some skillful moves demonstrated on the boards.

A Mini Simul with a Russian Chess Master

However mad hatter Dan pulled off a few ‘out of this world moves’. Naturally!

Check out the laughing girl on the right of the picture above and below, ha ha. More chess madness!

That’s my brother Jacob Tapp with the craziest Mad Hatter Hat, oh and chess moves!

What a great host you are too Jacob!

Can’t thank Park Royal’s Golden Event Organizer Melina enough, for asking me to host and

for her organizing this event. Unbelievable talent.  Huge love and hugs!

The Photo Booth

Lot’s of children played the whole afternoon

Chess madness

My Dad a chess player

Check out the name on the Alice book ….”Park Royal Wonderland”

……………………….   more photos to share soon

Park Royal Mall South (Photos: by Mavaddat Javid)

After the first year of IB studies and life in West Vancouver, its clearly been the most challenging regarding school, but living here in West Vancouver has been pure bliss.

Beautiful /Ambleside is a short walk for me. Having a part time job there is great and dropping by for a game of chess. I’ve been eagerly awaiting the chance to share this news of the magnificent chess space that Park Royal Management has so generously provided for us.

We are all clearly grateful to have this space. Park Royal had the first permanent chess area in a shopping centre in Canada. We had chess from 1984-2006 with inlaid chess tables… and now this beautiful space 2017.

CHECK IT OUT:

Seriously, how cool is this! I feel so honored, and a pic of one of my best chess moments visiting Webster University for the All Girls Tournament, St Louis.

But bigger than this is a girl and women (the women first greatest) recognized here for playing the game of chess. This makes me proud.

A close up:

More pics of the players in action in the new area will be added shortly.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS – CHESS EVENT 

A new event added to the Annual

TASTE OF PARK ROYAL

July 8 1-3:00 pm

Come out and challenge me in a simultaneous exhibition at the Park Royal Shopping Centre on July 8. Special guest will be former BC Chess Champion Dan Scoones, a master player who will also play a simul with you.

Be there before 1:00 pm to get a seat, and games begin around 1:15 pm. You can always play if there is an empty seat anytime, so just show up and give it a try. The chess area will remain active through the evening. Beginners welcome, its all for fun.

EVENT:

We will have a teaching corner for new players taught by Pedram Armani, our school chess club leader.

Giant chess pieces.

Get a picture taken with the characters from Through The Looking Glass in the photo booth!

Receive an official chess certificate signed by Park Royal Management for participating. Any level.

We will be in the main center court area on the South Side of Park Royal Shopping Centre.

       CLICK THE PIC. TO SEE THE LINE UP OF ACTIVITIES:

I was recently sent this video below by my mom and she asked me to think about something. She asked me to think about the value of making ‘long term goals’, over having ‘short term goals’. Generally speaking having short term goals provide an instant gratification and maybe takes less effort, and long term goals although a slower journey, is the way to a greater success!

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