Calgary chess icon inducted to Canadian Chess Hall of Fame
At 88 years old Branimir Brebrich is still a force to be reckoned with as he sits at a chess board.
"I play to win. And to win by some beauty, not just pushing the pieces… not to be like ‘a wood-pusher,’" said Brebrich ( a ‘wood-pusher is a chess burn meaning someone who only knows how the pieces move, but they don’t understand the strategy, or beauty, of the game.)
Brebrich is no wood-pusher. He is ranked as a chess master, and now is the first Albertan inducted into the Canadian Chess Hall of Fame. In a game known for its huge egos - (Gary Kasparov), or mercurial tempers (Bobby Fischer), Brebrich is understated, and even-keeled.
“I never brag about myself. because I think if you say ‘I am smart’, that means you are not smart. If you said you're a genius, you are not genius," he said.
"Other people have to say that about you," said Brebrich. "You don't sing your own song. Let others sing for you."
Others are singing his praises as the octogenarian is awarded with his place in the Canadian Chess Hall of Fame.
"I knew Branimir way back in the early 70s, when I started going to the Calgary chess club and Branimir at that time was a top player, (one of the) top two or three in Alberta," said Steve Sklenka, the past president of the Calgary Chess Club. "We all looked up to Branimir's abilities," said Sklenka. "And turns out he was also an organizer, a promoter for virtually most of his adult life. So yeah, it was it was a great influence on me."
Brebrich influenced generations of chess players in western Canada. Born in Croatia he arrived in Calgary in 1968, becoming president of the chess club a year later. For the next decade he popularized the game, playing simultaneous games against multiple players in malls and other public venues.
In 1978 he set a world record by playing 575 simultaneous games, scoring 533 wins, 27 draws and only 15 losses. As a world record it stood for six years, but he still holds the Canadian record.
In 1978 he set a world record by playing 575 simultaneous games scoring 533 wins, 27 draws and only 15 losses. As a world record it stood for six years, but he still holds the Canadian record.
Brebrich said he could have played even more games,
“That happened in Edmonton, and I stopped at 575 because that was in Edmonton," said Brebrich.
"I wanted to break my own record in Calgary. But it never happened. So I could go even more than that."
In western Canadian chess circles, Brebrich is perhaps best known as a teacher. On his "Brebrich on Chess" television program, which aired weekly on Rogers cable from 1972-1981 Brebrich introduced new players to the game and old players to new techniques. He was also the Calgary Herald’s chess columnist beginning in 1978.
He left his real mark on the game in Alberta through mentoring you players, becoming the president of the Alberta Youth Chess Association, and teaching chess in schools from elementary through to being a lecturer at Mount Royal University (then Mount Royal College).
On his "Brebrich on Chess" television program, which aired weekly on Rogers's cable from 1972-1981 Brebrich introduced new players to the game and old players to new techniques.
THE BEAUTY OF A WELL-PLAYED BOARD
While still in love with the game, Brebrich says he isn’t in it for the competition anymore. Instead, he seeks the beauty of a well-played board.
“I stopped playing tournaments in 1986,” said Brebrich
“Now if I play, if I can make one small combination, that is beautiful, I enjoy that. I don't keep the score, like one to zero or whatever. That's not for me anymore.”
Brebrich might not keep score anymore but others do. In 2019 he was convinced to return to competition in the "2019 Battle of Alberta" pitching Calgary players against Edmonton’s best, where he scored 1.5/2 points (a win and a draw).
Like a lot of Calgarians Brebrich is spending time on the west coast in his retirement, where he has taught chess at the Richmond public library, and at a private school in the lower mainland. He is also finishing a book he started decades earlier about chess and life.
"I'm glad I didn't finish (earlier) because I was coming with new ideas," he said.
Brebrich said many of his fondest memories are of playing chess in public exhibitions, and would like to rekindle that by getting back in touch with those he played against in those matches.
"I want to say thank you all who participate in my exhibitions , starting from Westbrook Mall, to Marlborough Mall and old other malls, with others playing chess. I really like you. I would like to see you again. Maybe one day we should meet all at one place and I will play against you again," said Brebrich. "Just to enjoy one day of remembrance of our past."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.