Eric and Benjamin Zhang love chess.
The Taylors Lakes brothers, aged nine and seven, play each other three times a day, trying to claim bragging rights at home.
Outside of the family home, they make formidable opponents – Eric and Benjamin won their respective age groups in the RJ Shield, a tournament held in Hoppers Crossing last month.
“I’ve been playing for about two and a half years, but this was my first tournament win,” Eric said. “I won the under-10 division and got a gold medal. I love the game and the tactics – you always have to be thinking ahead.”
Benjamin also took home a gold medal in the under-8 division.
“I was confident before we started and I was pleased with how I played,” he said.
The win came at an opportune time for Benjamin, who took part in the state’s biggest chess tournament at the weekend.
“I’m taking part in the Victorian State Championships, which is a really big tournament,” he said. “I’m a little bit nervous, but also excited about the opportunity.”
While Benjamin might be off to the state championships, Eric said he was still the champion at home.
“I win most of the time, but sometimes Benjamin beats me,” he said.
Eric said he’d love to be able to play more readily in Brimbank.
“We have to travel to Caroline Springs and Melton to play in chess clubs,” he said. “We play each other a lot, but if there were more chess clubs in Brimbank, we could play other people more often.”
