Mount Maunganui man Ian Laurie only recently started playing chess competitively in a club again.

He didn't like his chances playing in the NZ Seniors Chess Championships, held last weekend in Mount Maunganui. Nonetheless he surprised himself. He almost won in grade two.

NZ Seniors Champion Russell Dive (centre) with tournament organiser and runner-up Bob Smith (right) and Mount Chess Club co-founder Viv Smith (left). Photo: supplied.

'There were some strong players in this tournament. I wasn't expecting much success,” says Ian.

He learned to play chess as a child, but only started playing matches when he joined a club in Liverpool, where he lived shortly after he got married.

'I would have been in my early twenties then,” says Ian. That playing stopped after a few years when his work hours changed. Since then he's played regularly with friends at home.

He reconnected with a club, not even when he retired and moved to Mount Maunganui four years ago.

'Clubs mostly play evenings, finishing late and that's not something I enjoy anymore.”

Earlier this year Bob Smith started the new Mount Chess Club, which meets during the day.

'We have held internal competitions and Bob has assessed everyone and organised some training sessions.”

Bob is a World Chess Federation master and international organiser, two-time national champion and former president of the national Chess Federation.

He and his wife Viv are the brains behind the tournament, which is part of the New Zealand Chess Federation's Grand Prix circuit.

The tournament's top seed Russell Dive justified his favouritism for the New Zealand Seniors Chess Championship – but it was a close call.

The Wellington International Master needed at least a draw in the final round against Bob Gibbons (Auckland) to take the title, for players 50 and over.

But in a complex game Russell unexpectedly found himself in a losing position.

If his opponent had found the winning move, Russell would have had to share first place with local player Bob Smith, while Gibbons would have successfully defended his New Zealand Veterans' title – for players 65 and over.

Dive was understandably relieved when Gibbons missed the win.

The game ended in a draw, giving the Wellingtonian clear first, half a point ahead of Smith.

Another Tauranga player, Helmut Marko, finished in a tie for third with Hilton Bennett (Hamilton) and Grant Kerr (Auckland), a former New Zealand representative who was making a comeback.

Gibbons' missed chance meant that Kerr pipped him for the New Zealand Veterans' title by half a point.

Two members of The Mount Chess Club performed well in their first serious event in many years.

Merv Sutton was first in grade two, while Ian Laurie was in the race for the same prize until a final round loss.

The New Zealand Seniors Championship, hosted by The Mount Chess Club, was organised by club founders Bob and Viv Smith.

Leading scores: R. Dive (Wellington) (5/6) 1^st, R. Smith (Mt Maunganui) (4 ½) 2^nd, H, Marko (Tauranga), H. Bennett (Hamilton), G. Kerr (Auckland) (4) 3rd.

Ian Laurie did better than expected. Photo Tracy Hardy.