Ni Hua at the University of Melbourne

by Elsa Yueh

The 1888 Building, also known as the 'Graduate Centre' at the University of Melbourne, is
a heritage listed building deemed historically and architecturally important by the National
Trust of Australia.

The event was an excellent opportunity for players of all ages to play against an Olympiad champion. Though no one defeated the Super GM, five players managed to draw against him and they were: Luke Li, Bill Jiang, Lillian Lu, Mitko Aleksandrov and Ray Yang. They each received a chess set and a memorable prize for their outstanding achievements.

Many junior players participated in their first ever simultaneous exhibition event

A modern room in the heritage building that delivered a pleasant 'chess' atmosphere

Each of the players received a name plate, with their names, to take home after the simul as souvenirs

GM Ni Hua giving a moment of thought against junior players

Memorable prizes were offered for any player who managed a win or a draw in the simul

It was an enjoyable simul afternoon with pizza, sweets and drinks, ensuring a great time for all

GM Ni Hua chose his game against Bill Jiang as the most noteworthy for the simul and briefly
analysed it for the audience

Ni Hua concludes the simul with an analysis of the game played against Bill Jiang, while
interacting with the audience with questions and quizzes

GM Ni Hua's first trip to Australia was definitely a remarkable journey in which he not only conquered the highest prize event in the country by a large margin, but also he promoted chess and gave a simul opportunity for junior and adult players alike. When asked if he would be back in Australia again for another tournament, the answer was a definite: 'Yes'.

Photos by Le Su