Perth Voice Interactive

BAYSWATER’s Patrick Gong could just be the next Garry Kasparov.

Since taking up chess just four years ago, the 16-year-old has won a swathe of state and national tournaments, including the under-16 Australian junior championships and the Perth Open.

In July he became the newest candidate master in WA, after a great performance at the 2015 Oceania zonal chess championships.

The year 10 student has an ELO rating of 1932 for under-10 minute “Blitz” games (an average club player would be around 1500) and is just back from Mongolia, where he played for Australia at the world youth chess olympiad.

“Patrick not only has great passion in chess, also he is trying to promoting chess in local community,” says mum Shirley, who manages the under-16 national chess team.

“With the permission of Chisholm College, he set up a chess club at the school early this year, which runs once a week on Wednesday after classes.

“He hopes more students enjoy the benefits that learning chess can bring. His goal is to become an Australian grand master and world champion.

“Who knows? You never know.”

Ms Sun says Patrick got into the game when the family moved to Bayswater and he enrolled at the local primary school.

“It was a way of getting to know people and fitting in,” she says.

“Patrick now spends around four hours a day practising, but I reckon if I let him, he would play all night.”

The Voice tried to get a hold of Patrick after school for a chat, but guess what? Busy—playing chess.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK