Thornhill sisters are national junior chess champions
Michelle Bitran, Special to The CJN
Thursday, January 19, 2012
When Andrew Giblon signed up his young daughters for chess lessons at the local community centre in Thornhill, he had no idea that in just a few short years, both would become national chess champions.
“My cousin had already started playing chess, and my parents thought it’d be nice for us, too – something about wanting the kids out of the house,” Rebecca Giblon said with a smile. She’s 14 years old and the older of the two girls.
Rebecca began playing chess when she was about six years old and was soon followed by her younger sister, Melissa, now 12. Both girls had a bumpy start, but they were determined to improve.
“I was really not good at all, but I wanted to win,” Melissa said of her early days playing.
The sisters practised a lot, undeterred by the steep learning curve of the classic strategy game, until finally, their work began to pay off.
“In Grade 3, something clicked,” Rebecca said. “I’m not really sure how it happened.”
As they improved, Giblon arranged for private chess coaching for his daughters. In 2007, Rebecca became a national champion for girls under 10. In 2009, she won again for girls under 12, and Melissa won for girls under 10. In 2011, Melissa became national champion for girls under 12.
“It got a lot more fun. Now I actually have something to look forward to,” Rebecca said about her success.
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Congrats!