January 14th-24th 2019 - 126th New Zealand Chess Congress, Auckland.

Venue: The Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre, 58 Waipuna Rd, Mount Wellington, Auckland.

Organised by the Howick-Pakuranga Chess Club in association with the New Zealand Chess Federation Inc.

Chief organiser

Paul Spiller

All events open to players of any nationality, with over $10,000 in prizes.

NZ Open Championship – 14-22 January

NZ Major Open – 14-22 January

NZ Junior Open (morning games) – 15-20 January

Buffet Banquet – 6.30pm, 22 January

NZ Rapid Championship – 23-24 January

NZ Lightning Championship – 24 January

Stay on-site at the Waipuna Hotel, special rates.

Entry form

here (pdf document)

.

Vega Links:

NZ Open Championship

NZ Major Open Championship

NZ Rapid Championship

NZ Lightning Championship

NZ Open Junior Championship

Leonard McLaren becomes a FIDE Master after finishing 11th-23rd= in a very strong field in the

Oceania Zonal Open

at Auckland in January 2017. From the field of 116 there were no less than 32 Masters: 1 Grandmaster (AUS), 6 International Masters, 8 FIDE Masters and 17 Candidate Masters. Without the CMs the medium Elo was 2333. With the CMs the medium Elo was 2146.

Leonard McLaren was born in 1964. He learned to play chess aged 4 and joined a club aged about 11. He won the New Zealand Schoolpupils Championship in 1980 (jointly) and 1981. During the 1980's he won the Wellington Championship three times. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours from Victoria University, Wellington, graduating in 1986.

From 1989-1991 Leonard based himself in London and played in about 100 tournaments in Greater London and England during this time, including 3 British Championships scoring 5/11, 5/11 and 6/11 respectively. He returned to New Zealand in September 1991 with a wealth of experience, and then took a year off from chess. In late 1992 he got back into chess, and over the next several years slowly and painstakingly started to accumulate those National Master points. He was 3= in the New Zealand Championship in 2001. He was North Island Champion (jointly with Paul Garbett) 2004, 2006 and (jointly with Don Eade) 2007.

Just before the New Zealand Championship in January 2008 he had accumulated 88 Master points. An outstanding performance of 4th= at that tournament saw him break the 100 points barrier required to achieve his National Master title. In the Oceania Zonal in January 2017 at Auckland he scored 6/9 to gain his Federation Master title.

One interesting achievement by Leonard was his victory over Grandmaster Drazen Sermek of Slovenia (Elo 2577) at the Auckland International Open Tournament in 2003 that our Club stalwart Paul Spiller organised at the Pakuranga Country Club. It was during the last round and cost Sermek the chance of first place. He considers this to be his best result in an individual game.

31/01/2003 L McLaren vs D Sermek 1-0

The highest FIDE rating he has achieved was 2283 and he is currently rated at 2234 (February 2017).

The Howick-Pakuranga Chess Club extends our whole-hearted congratulations to Leonard on this lifetime achievement.

Leonard McLaren becomes the 27th National Master after finishing 4th-8th= in a very strong field in the

New Zealand Chess Championship

at Auckland in January 2008. From the field of 22 there were no less than 14 Masters: 1 Grandmaster (NZL), 4 International Masters (including one from Brazil), 6 FIDE Masters and 3 National Masters. Medium Elo was 2241 and the strongest field of the New Zealand Chess Championship. We in the chess world all know that this does not happen with just one tournament, but has taken many years to achieve.

Leonard McLaren receiving his New Zealand Master Certificate from New Zealand Chess Federation President Paul Spiller at the Howick-Pakuranga Chess Club on 18th March 2008.	NM Leonard McLaren - the speech.