Latest / Podcasts By Donna Jodhan / Remarkable World Commentary Episode #101: Interview with Voldi Gailans, Chairman of the Braille Chess Association

Transcript

Remarkable World Commentary Episode #101: Interview with Voldi Gailans, Chairman of the Braille Chess Association · Podcasts By Donna Jodhan

0:12
Podcast Commentator: Greetings, Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP and MBA invites you to listen to
0:20
her biweekly podcast, Remarkable World Commentary.
0:24
Here, Donna shares some of her innermost thoughts,
0:27
insights, perspectives, and more with her listeners.
0:31
Donna focuses on topics that directly affect the future of kids,
0:35
especially kids with disabilities.
0:38
Donna is a blind advocate, author, sight loss coach,
0:42
dinner mystery producer, writer, entrepreneur,
0:45
law graduate, and podcast commentator.
0:49
She has decades of lived experiences, knowledge,
0:53
skills, and expertise in access, technology and information.
0:58
As someone who has been internationally recognized for her work and roles,
1:02
she just wants to make things better than possible.
1:07
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Remarkable World Commentary.
1:14
I am Donna J. Jodhan, a lifelong disability advocate and one who
1:20
sees the world mainly through sound, touch and stubborn optimism.
1:27
I am a law graduate and accessibility consultant,
1:31
an author, lifelong barrier buster who also happens to be blind.
1:37
You may know me from a few headline moments.
1:41
As in November 2010, I won the landmark charter case that forced the Canadian
1:49
government to make its websites accessible to every Canadian,
1:56
not just two sighted once.
1:59
And in July of 2019, I co-led the Accessible Canada Act with more than two dozen
2:07
disability groups to turn equal access into federal law,
2:13
and most recently, in June 2022, I was greatly humbled by Her Late Majesty's
2:21
Platinum Jubilee Award for tireless commitment to removing barriers.
2:27
When I'm not in a courtroom or in a committee room or a pottery studio,
2:33
you'll find me coaching kids with vision loss,
2:37
producing audio mysteries, or helping tech companies to make their
2:43
website gadgets talk back in plain language.
2:48
Everything I do circles one goal to turn accessibility from an afterthought into
2:55
everyday practice. I invite you to think of this show as our shared workbench,
3:03
where policy meets lived experience and lived experience sparks fresh ideas.
3:10
Now, before we jump into today's conversation,
3:14
let me shine a spotlight on today's guest, a change maker whose world is every bit as
3:22
remarkable as the world that we are trying to build.
3:27
I'd like to introduce you to the chairman, and I hope I have his title correct,
3:34
of the Braille Chess Association, based in the UK.
3:39
I'd like to welcome you to our show.
3:41
It is a pleasure and a privilege to have you on board.
3:46
Voldi Gailans: Thank you Donna. That's very kind and it's nice to be here.
3:50
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Great. So let's start off with this question,
3:56
for you have written that in your 76th year, you find yourself as chairman of the
4:06
Braille Chess Association, something that you say you never expected.
4:14
Please take us back to the moment that you accepted that role.
4:20
What made you say yes?
4:24
Voldi Gailans: Well, I was asked whether I would consider becoming chairman by my predecessor,
4:31
and it did take me by surprise because I never thought of myself as chairman material.
4:38
I'm not I'm not a leader by nature.
4:41
I like to sit back and and, you know, try and help where I can.
4:45
And having joined the Association in 1977 I look back on it all,
4:54
and I think of what chess has done for me in all those years and the huge enjoyment I've
5:00
had from it, and my debt of gratitude to the Braille Chess Association.
5:05
And I thought, well, I've been asked to do this job.
5:08
I must give it a go because I want it to thrive.
5:11
I think what we give to people is something enormous.
5:15
It is, as you said at the beginning, life changing.
5:17
I think it makes such a big difference to all of us.
5:20
Blindsided whoever. I think it's a chess is a good thing for anybody to do.
5:26
And you you've got something very special for life.
5:30
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: You know, I have to tell our listeners that I met Paul and his wife,
5:35
Claire, the day before I returned to Canada from my European trip in June of this year.
5:42
It was a sure privilege and a pleasure to have met you both.
5:46
And you have changed my life even before we met when you started coaching me.
5:52
So thank you very much.
5:54
Voldi Gailans: I think that was on a very, very, very, very low level.
5:58
Donna, I'm not I'm not a great player.
6:00
You see, this is one of the beauties of it.
6:01
I absolutely love the game.
6:03
And I'm not a, I'm not a, you know, top player.
6:06
I, I've struggled all my life to to get better and I'll still struggle for the rest
6:11
of it, but I love it. It's such a wonderful game.
6:14
And I would like to feel I could share that enthusiasm and get other people to,
6:19
to love it and enjoy it as much as I do.
6:22
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: And I could hear it in your voice.
6:24
And you sure have started to make me more enthusiastic about chess.
6:30
So, Sovaldi, your very first meeting with chess wasn't over a board at all,
6:39
but at a Latvian social club that you father used to take the family to.
6:47
Tell us about that little boy.
6:50
Fascinated by the shapes of the pieces.
6:54
What did chess mean to you before you even knew the rules?
7:01
Voldi Gailans: I just I just loved. I came across this board and it was a nicely made board and they were
7:06
standard. Standard. Staunton figures that you that are normal chess player would have.
7:11
And I just like the shapes.
7:13
They fascinated me. And I used to play with them,
7:16
you know, like children play, play with figures and make up games and,
7:19
and, you know, I did spend some time while I was there just,
7:22
you know, because I got a little bit bored there because of course,
7:26
you know, dad was all chatting to his friends in Latvian and we were just left to drift
7:30
around quite a lot of the time. And this was a nice little diversion.
7:34
And somebody did mention accessibility to chess,
7:40
accessible chess to me.
7:43
But it didn't mean anything to me.
7:45
I was only 8 or 9, something like that.
7:47
Up. But but yes, that was, that was my first contact with,
7:51
with the game. And it wasn't until I went to school.
7:56
We'll come on to that won't be.
7:57
I'm sorry, I'm waffling on and not letting you ask the questions.
8:01
I think maybe that's okay.
8:03
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: No. Go ahead.
8:05
Voldi Gailans: Well. All right. You know, my my my real experience with chess,
8:09
first of all, came at school when we used to have games,
8:13
nights on a Thursday evening.
8:14
And one of the games was, was chess.
8:17
And we had these tactile chess boards, which were,
8:21
were, were just wooden or metal boards with holes drilled in and a peg at the bottom of
8:28
each piece which fitted into the holes.
8:30
And with in those days on the, the particular design of chess set,
8:37
the, the pins were in the white pieces.
8:40
But anyway, he, this teacher taught, taught,
8:43
taught us a group of us, the moves of the game.
8:47
And that was it. And I learned the moves and I thought,
8:50
I can play chess, you know, and we all thought,
8:52
great, wonderful. We've got a new hobby.
8:54
And, and, and we did have and, and we played games,
8:58
but we had no idea what, what, what to do.
9:01
We, we, we just knew the moves.
9:03
So we, we moved the pieces, but we didn't know what was the right thing
9:06
to do or we had no idea of strategy or tactics.
9:11
We managed to find the odd chess book with some games written down in it and a history
9:16
of the World Championship up to 1935 or so.
9:19
And I enjoyed reading that, of course.
9:21
And I'd get the board out and and I'd follow these games with no idea really what,
9:26
what, what they were trying to do.
9:29
These wonderful grandmasters.
9:30
I had no appreciation, but but it was something new.
9:33
It fascinated me. And I had so much time in the holidays to do all this.
9:37
And I spent hours doing it with no real knowledge,
9:41
which was such a shame.
9:42
But over the years, of course, things improved and I know better now.
9:47
It all come rather late, but it was the most wonderful thing to to to
9:52
start learning and to improve on.
9:54
And I've had so much pleasure from it.
9:57
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Now, many of our listeners have never held a pegged,
10:03
tactile set. Paint the picture of those Thursday games evenings at your boarding
10:12
school around your 11th birthday.
10:16
The raised squares, the Braille books in all descriptive notation.
10:23
Okay. And what was it like to learn the moves?
10:27
But not yet. I was behind them.
10:31
Tell us about it.
10:33
Voldi Gailans: Well, it was a very long time ago.
10:35
I'm not sure that I really remember. I think, you know, as a child you you can do it.
10:39
You pick up you pick up these things and you you just do them,
10:43
don't you you don't think about you know how you know.
10:46
Isn't it hard? Isn't it difficult?
10:49
It's a fairly simple code.
10:52
The chess code. Really?
10:54
And when you think about it, the game itself is,
10:56
is relatively simple. You just, you know, you,
10:59
you know, the basics because you each piece has has certain movements.
11:03
You learn what those movements are and then you start moving them on the board.
11:07
And you know, the, all the strategy and the rest of it comes later on with instruction,
11:14
with tuition, with playing games yourself, with experience talking to other people,
11:19
sharing things. It's, it's, it's, it's an on lifelong learning
11:24
process.
11:27
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: It sounds so easy.
11:30
Voldi Gailans: Well, essentially that first part is easy.
11:33
You just learn how each piece moves and you move them.
11:36
The difficulty is when, when you, when you come to look at how deep
11:41
the game is and how. When you think of how in.
11:44
In each. At each point in the game, for each move,
11:47
there are so many different options.
11:50
It's very, very complex.
11:52
But you, you learn certain things if you learn them properly at the start,
11:59
like for instance, you know, when you've got those pieces in front of you,
12:03
what sort of moves should you make and what are your ideas in starting the game?
12:09
And what I didn't even know, you know, about opening systems or middlegame
12:14
or the end game. They were totally unfamiliar concepts to me at the time.
12:20
And, but of course, you soon learn when you're learning properly that the first thing
12:25
you do get your pieces off the back rank and get them into play.
12:29
Well, there you go straight away.
12:30
You've got a whole lot of moves cut out.
12:32
You know, you've got a little plan and it's better than not having any plan.
12:37
And that's the very first thing you learn.
12:39
And the game is littered with with with principles and ideas and little tricks that
12:44
you learn. And then your imagination comes into play and,
12:48
and by by experience, by playing, by looking at books,
12:52
doing the exercises, even doing just problems,
12:56
which is, you know, I would think perhaps this is a bit akin to doing crosswords only
13:03
all you need to know are the moves of the pieces and you get given a problem.
13:08
Well, mate, in three moves or five, find out how to win in in,
13:13
in your next move, or in three moves or four moves.
13:16
And you've got the puzzle there. And because you know what,
13:20
what the pieces do, you've always got a chance of finding the answer.
13:24
I've always thought with a, with a crossword,
13:28
there might be a piece of information I don't know,
13:30
or a word I don't know.
13:31
And however much I try and do it, I'll never get it because I don't have that
13:35
information. But the chess problem is quite different because you know the rules,
13:39
you know how they move.
13:41
And so you've always got a chance to solve it.
13:45
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: I think you had told me that on lichess.org, LICHESS dot ORG.
13:53
That website offers us the opportunity to go and solve puzzles.
13:59
Is that right?
14:00
Voldi Gailans: I yes, I haven't done that, but yes, I believe it does.
14:03
And I think that's accessible.
14:06
I've just played games on chess so far.
14:08
I haven't done a great deal with it.
14:12
Through partly through time.
14:13
There's so much to do, even just, you know, with the chess books
14:18
I've got and the games I play, you know, and of course family commitments
14:21
and other things. But but chess, chess is very time consuming or,
14:26
you know, or as time consuming as you want it to be.
14:29
You could, you could do it 24 hours a day and you're never going to learn it all.
14:33
But that's, of course, part of its fascination because,
14:35
you know, you look, there are so many different aspects to it,
14:38
and you kind of make your choice really as to what what you'll study,
14:41
what you look at, look at, and make a decision as to what kind of game,
14:45
whether you're a, a tactical player whether you're attacking player,
14:50
defensive, you know, you learn that by your own experience.
14:56
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Now, you have reflected that for many years.
15:01
You and your school friends played with only a rudimentary idea of what you were trying to
15:10
achieve. Looking back, what was lost in not having a coach in those
15:17
early days, and how has that shaped the way that you welcome beginners now someone like
15:26
me.
15:28
Voldi Gailans: Well, of course, what was missing was any ideas,
15:33
any instruction, you know, how, how how you would open a game of chess.
15:39
What to do with the pieces?
15:40
Where do you want to put them on the board? Why do you want to put them there?
15:43
What's the purpose of each move?
15:46
It's if you look at it like a like a well, like a story,
15:50
in a sense, you know that you start the game as white,
15:52
you play your first move and I think, oh, she's done this.
15:55
So I'll, I'll do this because.
15:58
And it was the because that I didn't know, you know it was a complete blank.
16:04
I just knew that the pieces moved like this.
16:07
So I'll move them. And, and, and as time has gone by I did just to
16:12
pick up things as you went along, but formal coaching,
16:15
being taught in the right way is so important,
16:17
I think to get people started and to get them fired up.
16:20
Because once you get some ideas, once you know a little bit,
16:24
you think, wow, this is, this is this is fantastic.
16:27
You might, you might see a very quick checkmate and you think,
16:30
oh, how did that happen? Why did that happen?
16:32
Why was that such an easy win?
16:35
And it's all. You're always asking questions the whole time and finding answers.
16:39
And you look at a chess position and you think, what's the best move I can do in this
16:43
position? What? What would I do?
16:44
What am I looking for?
16:46
And of course, the more knowledge and experience you gain,
16:51
the more fascinating it becomes and the better you become at recognizing.
16:57
It is, after all, just a game of patterns you see.
17:00
You see a particular situation or a similar situation.
17:04
And through having played a lot, looked at lots of games,
17:07
you you, you think, oh, I've seen something like this before and it
17:13
gets your imagination going and, and, and it helps you.
17:17
Now, I didn't have any of that.
17:19
We didn't have any of that help at the time, you know,
17:21
and it would of course, as a child, of course,
17:25
you pick these things up so quickly and your,
17:27
your ability to concentrate and to work hard is so much greater.
17:30
I certainly noticed the difference. Now, now that I'm 76,
17:33
you know. But but as a child, you're like a sponge.
17:36
You soak it all up. And just looking at the juniors,
17:39
as at our club, they are fantastic and they are so quick.
17:43
You know, they play very fast games and it's just such a high standard as well.
17:47
And it's all because they've had proper instruction and proper learning.
17:51
And I really do regret not not having had that.
17:54
It's a shame. But but as a as a fairly mediocre player,
17:58
I can truly say that I love it just as much, even,
18:01
well, far more than I ever did.
18:03
Because I think my understand is, is understanding is growing as it would to
18:08
anybody who, who looks at the game any, anybody could,
18:11
could play it, you know, it's, it's not so, so difficult as all that
18:14
not to, not to get the, the moves because there are six,
18:17
six different pieces on the board each have their own particular moves.
18:21
Well you can learn those very quickly. And then after that,
18:24
that's when the hard work starts.
18:27
But, but as I, as I say, a mediocre, mediocre player that I am,
18:31
I. It's still fascinating and there's so much more to learn,
18:34
so much more I won't ever learn, but I'll keep trying because it's just a
18:38
wonderful game, you know, and, and the social aspect is also wonderful.
18:42
Now we can play over Zoom or by phone and, and,
18:46
and you have contact with people through, through,
18:49
through something you enjoy.
18:50
You can get out, out and about and go to a chess club and meet people.
18:55
You know, well, we'll probably come on to those things,
18:58
maybe. Sorry, I don't mean to steal your show or.
19:01
Donna, I'm just. I'm just so excited about this game.
19:04
And I would love people to to give it a go, because honestly,
19:08
you've got something forever.
19:11
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: You know, just listening to you, I could I could just feel the excitement in
19:16
your voice and, and certainly you have played a part in,
19:21
in getting me back to playing chess.
19:23
I remember I did not want to join the Summer Cup the BCA summer cup and you kept saying,
19:31
oh, you got nothing to lose, so go.
19:33
You know, and I did join.
19:34
So I am playing this Friday against John.
19:38
And I don't care if I win or lose.
19:40
I'm here to learn, you know.
19:42
Voldi Gailans: Well, that's that's that's a that's a lovely attitude.
19:45
You see you see, you just can't lose by playing the game.
19:49
And something else I think it teaches you is,
19:52
is to accept defeat gracefully and to, to be magnanimous and sportsmanlike because
19:58
it, it you're, you know, it's a hard job when you first start you
20:07
probably go to a club or play with people who've perhaps had plenty of experience at
20:12
playing. And because you've had none, chances are you're not going to win many
20:16
games to start with.
20:18
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: No, not so well.
20:20
Voldi Gailans: Well, well anybody you know any, any, anybody totally new who doesn't know
20:24
very much. But of course the whole point is do you at the end of those games,
20:29
say, I lost, I'm no good.
20:31
I can't do it. Or do you say, hang on, why did I lose?
20:34
You know, there's got to be a way of getting better. And and you fight back and and that's
20:39
the whole essence of, of playing and and you have to learn to
20:43
accept the defeats because you'll get plenty of them. But I always think that if you get a
20:47
defeat there's a reason for it.
20:50
There always is. Because if you, if you play a move you've got to have a
20:57
reason why are you playing this move?
21:00
And if the answer is I don't know, then you find out,
21:03
well, why? What would I play? What should I play in this position?
21:06
It's just discovering, learning for yourself,
21:10
you know, and, and having a never say die attitude not to accept defeat.
21:15
And when you're defeated, don't let it prey on your mind because
21:19
there's always another game. And you learn from the game.
21:22
You've, you've, you've lost.
21:24
Have a look through it.
21:25
It might be a very elementary mistake.
21:27
You might just put a piece on a rock on the wrong square and it's taken.
21:32
That's the end of it. Well, you try and iron out those things straight
21:36
away. You want to be losing because you're outplayed,
21:38
because somebody outthought you.
21:40
And then you can look at that and go on from there.
21:44
But of course, we all we all make silly mistakes for no reason.
21:47
And we can kick ourselves and think, well, why did I do that and worry about it?
21:52
But you mustn't worry. You just pick yourself up,
21:54
get on with the next one and try and avoid making those mistakes again.
22:02
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: At 16, you changed schools, found a chess team,
22:07
and played your very first competitive games.
22:11
And then there's that wonderful idea you and a friend had,
22:18
which was to play a game at a pub every London Underground station.
22:27
What did those early years teach you about chess as a way to bring people together?
22:37
Voldi Gailans: I think it was all rather subconscious.
22:39
You know, I played for the school team.
22:41
Not not terribly well.
22:43
I didn't have a very high opinion of my chest.
22:46
I was down the bottom.
22:49
I think I probably did have the odd win.
22:51
It didn't mean as much in those days as, as it as it came to me later on,
22:57
because it's kind of grown with me and, and my,
23:01
my, you know, I, I've always played even since I left school.
23:05
And after that, I played lots and lots of games.
23:09
When I look back on it, I think, gosh, you know how did I do it?
23:14
But I really enjoyed doing it.
23:16
I turn out, you know, week after week to, to,
23:19
to go to the, to the chess club or to the matches.
23:21
I never thought, oh, you know, I shouldn't be playing this.
23:25
I'm not, I'm not good enough.
23:27
But but but but since having more coaching and,
23:31
and being a bit more focused, I've it's really made me realize what,
23:35
what, what I've missed out on.
23:38
And that's really why I want to see our coaching efforts bear fruit and,
23:43
and, and get people encourage people to start learning at any time and,
23:49
and actually learn ideas and learn how to play the game properly.
23:53
Because when you do that, you're inspired.
23:55
You see the things that are done on the chessboard and you think, wow, this is, this
23:59
is very clever. And you, you look at it and you,
24:02
you play a bit and you think, well, okay, it is clever,
24:05
but but it's not it's not beyond.
24:07
It's not beyond me. I can learn, I can pick up ideas,
24:10
I can use my imagination and come up with, with my own ideas and,
24:16
and that and that is wonderful.
24:19
You know some people would play, They look at a book and they learn a screed
24:24
of stuff. They learn move after move, which is a very terrible way to learn because
24:29
of course you can't possibly learn like that.
24:32
And, and, and at any point if somebody then goes,
24:34
play something different, the position is totally different.
24:37
And your, your, your, your, your, your, your,
24:39
your line of moves doesn't, doesn't work anymore.
24:42
So you have to be very careful not to do that and try and learn ideas and,
24:46
and to learn to use your imagination.
24:51
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: It sounds as if you are very high on using what your imagination.
24:55
Is that right?
24:56
Voldi Gailans: Yes, I think so. I try to and the more the more you see,
25:01
you see, you can play lots of games and you can get advice about what,
25:05
what, what you did wrong.
25:06
You can, you can look at master games and particularly ones that have annotations that
25:11
are ones that you can understand and, and that playing through the games gives you
25:17
ideas, you know, doing the tactical exercises.
25:21
There are books with with with that concentrate on on particular tactical motifs
25:26
that you can you can do the exercises and you see these things happening and you think,
25:30
wow, now I can try and put these into my, my game.
25:33
And because you've seen them you think, wow,
25:37
well, okay, I can try this.
25:39
If you've never seen them, they probably won't occur to you.
25:42
But that's where, that's where, that's where. Chess. Chess. Chess literature
25:46
is so important, you know, and, and the very first thing I always try to
25:50
teach people when I do any coaching is to teach them the notation so that you can learn
25:55
not only to make the moves, but to express them either in words or in
26:01
writing. And of course, once you can put them into writing,
26:04
you can then share your games with other people.
26:07
You can read other people's games, and you can read the chess books and read the
26:10
Grandmaster games, and you can read the annotations.
26:13
And it's like, like literacy in language, you know and it's,
26:18
I think it's very important.
26:20
And, and, and that that pushes you onwards and,
26:24
and the whole learning experience just goes on and on and on.
26:28
And there's always something to learn. I'm still learning plenty, plenty of things now,
26:32
even at my age.
26:34
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: I know for me it has helped me to develop patience and strategy.
26:39
Would you agree that chess does do that for you?
26:43
Voldi Gailans: I would, yeah, absolutely.
26:45
And and it and it teaches you mental toughness,
26:48
you know, because because you can play some very long games and you may play for two,
26:52
three, four hours. And it's all going well.
26:55
And suddenly you make a move and you think, oh no,
26:59
what have I done? And the whole thing falls around your ears,
27:01
even though you've put in all that time to get to a good position.
27:05
That's a very familiar story, you know?
27:07
So you have to learn to be patient and learn to accept that you make mistakes.
27:11
And when you make them, you think, well, okay,
27:14
that's, that's, I deserve that.
27:16
I, I shouldn't have done that.
27:17
And and add it to your experience, but don't carry the baggage around here to
27:21
your next game. And oh, I'm not doing very well.
27:24
I'm, I'm, I'm on a downer.
27:25
You've always got to try and lift yourself and and,
27:28
and, and I liken that to life, you see.
27:31
And I think I think this is, you know, in my old age,
27:34
it's it's made me feel that this is what life's all about,
27:38
you know, overcoming problems and, and, you know,
27:41
how do you, how do you deal with a problem?
27:43
And my, my latest theory is, well, it's only a problem if you make it one,
27:48
you know, you either got to kick it into touch and forget it if you can't solve it.
27:52
And certainly don't don't, don't don't worry about things you can't
27:57
control. There's so much when I think of the stresses I used to,
28:01
I used to worry about things that really I had no control over whatsoever.
28:04
And the stress levels are just awful.
28:06
You should never have to cope with that.
28:09
And you need to learn to live with those sorts of things.
28:11
And I think chess has helped me to do that because it is logical,
28:15
you know, because, you know, you you react all the time.
28:18
You're solving problems every time you make a move.
28:21
It's just so good for you.
28:22
And, and I do believe it will be good for everybody.
28:25
I think everybody should play.
28:27
And, and really so few people do.
28:30
I keep meeting people who say, oh, I used to play at school,
28:33
you know, used to. And they don't anymore.
28:35
And it's, it's, it's very sad.
28:37
I, I, I just think it's good for us in the way that physical exercise is good for us on
28:42
a physical level. I think chess is absolutely fantastic.
28:45
Mentally, it's just absolutely wonderful.
28:47
And you know, everybody would benefit by, by playing and the competitive spirit that
28:52
you build up, the people you meet.
28:54
It's just it's just a win all the time.
28:59
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: You've described your first weekend Conquest Congress so vividly.
29:07
You know, the large carpeted hall, plenty of room at the tables.
29:14
That atmosphere of silence and concentration for someone who has never been to a
29:23
tournament. What was it about that day that hooked you for life?
29:32
Voldi Gailans: I think it was just that, just just that the the the silence,
29:36
the concentration. You could you could feel in the hall and you're doing the same things
29:43
as all sorts of other people just sitting around me,
29:45
just trying to win a game of chess and, and,
29:48
and nothing else to distract you, you know, and,
29:52
and it was just because I suppose it was because it was the first tournament.
29:56
It was very exciting. And I absolutely loved it,
30:00
you know, and it, it got me wanting to play tournaments and matches and yeah,
30:08
although although they, they haven't ever been to a high standard,
30:12
you're always playing on your own level.
30:14
You know, there's always somebody you can beat and you can certainly lose to plenty of
30:17
people. So so you know, whoever you're playing,
30:21
just treat it with with, with, with the same equal attitude,
30:25
you know? Well, I'm here to win a game.
30:27
And if I make the right moves I can win.
30:31
I have had in a few years back a nice win against against our British champion.
30:40
Well, that was totally out of the blue.
30:42
And it may well have been that he that he dropped a clanger,
30:45
but I'll tell you, I'm still living on it.
30:47
And I always think, well, it could happen again.
30:49
You never know. And that's, that's what I was.
30:52
I played with a lot of hope.
30:54
And I try and I try not to get, get, get brain fog and,
30:58
and worry about you know how I'm feeling, you know,
31:02
just just concentrate on the game and do your best and keep going.
31:07
Play game after game, you know, and don't, don't,
31:10
don't, don't let things drag you down.
31:15
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: And soon afterwards, you joined the Braille Chess Association,
31:21
and you played in your first British championship for the blind.
31:27
That very same year, as a young blind player,
31:33
what did it mean to you to discover a whole community built around the game that you
31:41
loved?
31:43
Voldi Gailans: Well, I would say that, you know, I again, it was part of the growing
31:48
experience. You know, it was my first British championship.
31:51
And it was it was nice to be playing in it.
31:54
I think I came away with two points which which I was quite happy with because I wasn't
31:59
expecting to do terribly well.
32:00
It wasn't a very big competition.
32:02
It wasn't we didn't have so many players in those days.
32:06
But I certainly remember the weather conditions.
32:08
It was absolutely wild.
32:10
It was in Blackpool and it was winter.
32:12
So there were, there were, there was terrific wind and the sea was up
32:16
hitting the spray, hitting the hotel windows and
32:19
Screen Reader: That look like.
32:21
Voldi Gailans: But, but you know, it was, it was, it was, it was a good,
32:24
you know, a good workout for the first time.
32:26
And, and I didn't get naught.
32:28
So that was good. Although I have been to at least 2 or 3 tournaments where I got nought
32:34
out of 6 or 0 out of seven.
32:37
Okay, that.
32:37
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Sounds like me.
32:39
Voldi Gailans: And I've come I've come back from war, so I,
32:41
I must have enjoyed it reasonably well to, to keep doing that because I even,
32:47
even with my lack of acumen, I didn't, it didn't put me off because you
32:53
play as well as you can.
32:55
And, and according to what you've learned and the fact that that I've learned so much more
33:01
since then just makes me appreciate how, how big the game is and how,
33:07
how much there is still to discover.
33:10
And we can all do that by playing in, by experience.
33:16
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Boy, you're really doing a good job at convincing me that I cannot give up here.
33:21
Voldi Gailans: You can't. I know nobody should give up, and I think I think people should.
33:25
I see. Donna. I want to see people start playing.
33:27
I really do, because I honestly feel that, you know,
33:31
you can get enthused by by it by, by trying things and by learning ideas and
33:37
and and, and you see that, you know, you see something different.
33:41
I didn't think of that before.
33:42
That's really fascinating.
33:44
And it drives you forward.
33:46
It makes you want to do more, more in the game.
33:49
And I, that's the sad thing is I think that chess has a kind of mystique.
33:54
People, people think it's for for clever people.
33:57
Yeah. And it just isn't.
33:58
Well, I mean, obviously, you know, there, there are naturals, people
34:01
who are really good at that sort of thing. But but but but for everybody else,
34:05
we have to work hard, you know and and, and have fun.
34:11
That's the main thing, isn't it? You know, to, to enjoy the game,
34:13
enjoy playing and not worrying about losing or winning.
34:18
Obviously, you know, if you're going to be really serious and competitive,
34:21
well, that's how you are. Okay.
34:23
So that'll, that'll help you be competitive and you'll always find ways to,
34:26
to, to, to win. It'll inspire you to work harder.
34:30
But I think if you're not that driven, you can still have huge enjoyment and you can
34:36
still learn and you can still have fun and, and learn so much.
34:41
So, you know, I hope people who have never thought of playing before might consider
34:47
doing it because as, as a visually impaired person and not just visually impaired people,
34:53
but, but anybody who, you know, it, it would be of great benefit to
34:58
them and they could make a lot of friends even locally,
35:02
just go to the local chess club, play some games and meet people.
35:09
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: The BCA reaches all the way back to 1932, when blind enthusiasts
35:19
first posted their moves to one another in Braille.
35:24
As its chairman, how do you carry that near century of history,
35:32
and how do you describe the association to someone hearing of it for the very first
35:41
time?
35:43
Voldi Gailans: Well, of course, it's come a long way since those days when when Braille moves was sent
35:48
by post. And of course, these games used to go on for months and
35:52
months. And in fact, we, you know, until recently we've had a
35:55
correspondence league and a correspondence championship.
35:58
And, and the games would go on for 12, 18 months,
36:01
you know, but of course with technology, we now have we have zoom and we have we can
36:10
play by phone and we can play by email all different types of games.
36:15
And, and then of course, there are rapid games where you have,
36:18
say, 30 minutes on the clock each for your game to,
36:21
to finish it. Or a lot of people now are playing five minute,
36:24
ten minute games, you know, which I wouldn't dream of doing,
36:28
but but it some people like it and they'll go for an evening and play,
36:33
you know, 6 or 7 games of chess in an evening.
36:36
But it, there are so many opportunities now.
36:39
And of course the online possibilities are huge.
36:45
There's so much on chess online now.
36:48
And we didn't have those in those early days.
36:50
Even when I joined, this was, this was, you know,
36:53
1977. So we didn't have the internet, we didn't have Zoom.
36:57
We didn't have the, the immediate contacts.
37:00
And now, of course, people are able to play all around the world,
37:04
play people in different countries, and there are competitions for,
37:08
you know, and you've probably been familiar with them. Donna. You know,
37:12
people are playing each other all the, all over the world and it's absolutely
37:15
wonderful. So, so it is very different now.
37:18
And well, I know what the future will hold, but,
37:23
you know, I hope we can interest more people,
37:26
get more players have more, more, more top players even because that's,
37:32
that's one thing we, we try to do is to send people to international events and,
37:38
and we, we find that in at times we've had matches against other countries,
37:46
which it would be lovely to, to be able to have that back again.
37:51
Perhaps not so much over the board as occasionally happens,
37:56
because of course it's very expensive to send people abroad. You know, if you sent a whole
38:00
team, you know, it would involve some some expense but maybe for special occasions.
38:06
You never know. We've got a hundredth anniversary coming up in a few years time,
38:10
so who knows what will happen.
38:13
But of course, we can't play.
38:15
We have a current match at the moment, a transatlantic match with the United States.
38:20
We, you know our association, we've got a 15 board match with,
38:24
with the US. I don't know whether you've got players in Canada who'd give us a match
38:29
sometime. Donna that might be a thought.
38:31
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: I don't know. I'd have to scrounge up the people.
38:34
Voldi Gailans: We had one against France last year.
38:36
Which. Which was good. So that may be the trend,
38:39
you know, have you know, because there, of course,
38:41
a, a not very expensive to, to organize just they just need some work and
38:45
organization. But we have so many ways now to play and it's absolutely wonderful and anyone
38:52
can do it.
38:55
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: My clock is starting to tick down, but I wanted to ask you about the Chairman's
39:01
Cup for 2027. I've never been, I have I first went to the Windermere.
39:12
Yeah, in 2013 and then again in 2019.
39:17
Voldi Gailans: Yes. The team break is a is an opportunity.
39:19
It's a week for, for really for beginners, for people new to,
39:22
to chess. And, and we have some coaching sessions and we have a little mini tournament
39:28
for, for people to take part in.
39:31
And it's socially, it's, it's a chance to, to meet people and to
39:37
introduce them gently to chess.
39:39
And that was what you attended Donna, wasn't it?
39:41
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Yeah. But tell me about the event for next year.
39:45
If I were to come, what would I expect to be a part of?
39:50
Voldi Gailans: Oh. Well, that that that's that's a more sort of Well,
39:53
formal isn't quite the right word, but it's a tournament.
39:55
It's a seven round tournament.
39:57
And you play one game a day.
40:00
Quite a long game. Probably sort of two, two hours each on the clock.
40:03
Something like that, I would guess.
40:07
And you'd have the rest of the week free to mix and mingle and to,
40:11
to do what you like and have a holiday.
40:13
So, you know, after your, your, your game in the day,
40:16
you've got, you've got the rest of the time free and that hopefully would,
40:24
would, would, would make you want to come.
40:26
I very much hope you will.
40:29
What.
40:29
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: What can I expect to what types of activities are there in Bournemouth?
40:36
Voldi Gailans: Oh gosh. Well I, we, we I think we usually have some entertainments at an event like
40:46
this, people run quizzes and, and you know, sort of panel type games.
40:51
We have entertainers in to, to, to do evening performances,
40:54
all of which are optional of course.
40:56
And of course there will be, you know, things going on in Bournemouth.
41:00
But then, you know, we can, you know, we can get information from the
41:05
local offices that will tell you what, what,
41:09
what's going on around the area at the time.
41:13
But, but, but you're, you know, you're, you know,
41:16
you're in the hotel the whole time. And if you want to go out and do things,
41:19
then obviously you can do that.
41:22
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Are things organised for you though?
41:24
Are events organised as they were at Windermere?
41:29
Voldi Gailans: It depends. Perhaps not so much so I mean if you know,
41:34
if obviously if you've got a sighted guide, you're more likely to get out and go and do
41:38
things anyway. I think it is one of the things that,
41:41
you know, if you come on your own as a visually impaired person,
41:45
you, you know, you do have to decide what, you know,
41:48
what you're, you know, what, what you're going to do with your time
41:50
when you're not playing. But that's, that's kind of always been the thing,
41:56
really. But, you know, if you were interested in particular things,
41:59
I expect, you know, we things could be found out about what's going on.
42:05
I know on one occasion we went to a nice concert at the lighthouse,
42:09
which was which was very nice.
42:12
So it depends who, you know, who comes what organizers are there.
42:18
So, but, but it'll be very friendly and I can certainly guarantee you a big welcome if you
42:24
do decide you want to come.
42:27
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: You guys have always welcomed me each time I've,
42:29
you know, when I went to Windermere and those two occasions I felt like a celebrity,
42:33
I was.
42:34
Voldi Gailans: Oh, well that's good. Well that's good. So you should be.
42:36
It's lovely. Well we certainly enjoyed meeting you.
42:40
Yeah. It was, it was lovely.
42:41
And I certainly hope we will again.
42:44
I'm glad to hear you might you might you might think of coming because you know.
42:48
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: I'm thinking about it, but then again how far is Bournemouth from
42:54
Liverpool?
42:55
Voldi Gailans: Oh, quite a quite a long way.
42:57
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Quite a.
42:57
Voldi Gailans: Long way. Yes, the other. The other end of the country.
42:59
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Oh, dear. Okay. Okay. Okay.
43:04
I have enjoyed this interview.
43:07
I have learned a lot about, you know, how one thinks about chess and,
43:11
and, you know, I, I started playing way back in 2003,
43:17
I think, and then I slacked off for a few years and only decided to come back after my
43:26
second visit to Windermere in 2019 where I met Mark Kirkham.
43:31
Mark has been very patient with me.
43:33
And now you and your wife Claire has promised me a game,
43:40
hasn't she?
43:41
Voldi Gailans: She has? Yeah. Yeah. Well, well, well, do drop her a line,
43:44
won't you? I'm sure she'll be. She'll be happy to play you.
43:49
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: I'm going to ask you to send me her email address.
43:52
Voldi Gailans: So I can do that. It's the same as mine, only it's C instead of V.
43:56
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Instead of V at sea.
43:58
Voldi Gailans: Yeah.
43:59
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay.
44:00
Voldi Gailans: But but I'll send it to you anyway.
44:03
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. No problem. Are there any parting words of wisdom from the chairman before I let you
44:08
go?
44:09
Voldi Gailans: I'm very new. I'm still learning.
44:11
Very much so. No, I think my my my my basic message is that chess is for everybody.
44:19
And I hope anybody listening will consider giving it a go because it's such a huge and
44:25
wonderful thing because getting started, not a problem.
44:30
But after that, the learning starts and you play games,
44:35
you look at chess material, you discuss with people,
44:39
you work a lot on your own, you know, deciding on how you're going to
44:42
study, what you're going to study because it's endless.
44:46
You'll have it for life and you'll never be able to do it all.
44:50
But the whole subject is just so fascinating.
44:53
And the enjoyment in playing, particularly once you've really got going and
44:57
and are learning ideas, it's phenomenal.
45:00
It's great. And you don't have to be a real wizard to,
45:03
to, to, to enjoy and have the fun.
45:05
Because most of my chess life, I haven't, I've had very little tuition and
45:12
I've absolutely loved it.
45:13
And since I've had some tuition, it's absolutely fantastic.
45:17
So our aim in the BCA now is to try and get people with,
45:21
with, with a proper start so they don't have the experience that I had with all those
45:26
years of not being taught.
45:28
And we certainly like to think we can try and help people get started and to enjoy their
45:34
chess.
45:36
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: I think for me, I will promise you this, I'd like to continue having you coach me and
45:41
to play 1 or 2 games against your lovely wife.
45:44
Voldi Gailans: Oh, well, we can do that.
45:46
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Yeah. And the other thing I.
45:47
I'm. I promise you, I'm going to do is put out a call for anyone who plays chess in
45:52
Canada, see whether we can.
45:55
How many members would you want to be on the team,
45:58
though?
45:59
Voldi Gailans: Oh, as many as you can get.
46:00
I'm sure we can you know, see who you can get.
46:02
Let's see what happens. See what what comes of it.
46:04
Yeah. And you know, that would be interesting,
46:07
wouldn't it?
46:08
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: That would be for maybe next year.
46:10
I don't know, but I'm going to put out the call soon,
46:12
and I promise you that.
46:13
Voldi Gailans: Maybe you'd like to. Maybe you'd like to captain the Canada team.
46:16
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Oh, good Lord, no, I don't know.
46:19
Voldi Gailans: Well, actually, I, I did play a French Canadian last year in our match against
46:23
France. He was playing for France. So you know,
46:26
I was a traitor. I expected I expected I expected to be able to play for Canada as
46:30
well. And he was a good player too.
46:34
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Was that Olivier Deville.
46:36
Voldi Gailans: No it wasn't. You know, Donna, I'm sorry, I can't remember his name.
46:41
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Oh, okay.
46:41
Voldi Gailans: Okay. But But but but but there are some there are,
46:44
there are some players. Yeah, yeah.
46:46
Is is there a Canadian association?
46:49
Chess Association for the blind?
46:50
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: No, not that I know of.
46:52
No.
46:52
Voldi Gailans: Oh, what a shame. What a shame.
46:54
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Yeah, yeah. But we'll, we'll see.
46:56
I will start seeing who I can capture.
46:59
And when would be a good time for this to take place next year.
47:05
What time.
47:06
Voldi Gailans: Well let's see what let's see whether whether it's on first and then we'll think about,
47:09
you know because yes, it would have to be fitted into a schedule I
47:13
suppose. But yeah, let's see whether it's feasible.
47:16
And, and then then we can decide on anything else and Olivia will know that the names of
47:23
these French Canadians.
47:25
I think there are at least a couple of them. So so I'm sure he would know them.
47:30
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay.
47:30
Voldi Gailans: So but it's been lovely.
47:32
Donna, thank you for asking me.
47:33
And I hope it's been worthwhile for you.
47:35
And I hope all your listeners will find it.
47:38
So. And I hope to hear that many people have been starting.
47:43
Yeah, it's.
47:43
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Been a pleasure and a privilege for me, and I've truly enjoyed this,
47:47
and I look forward to continuing my work with you.
47:50
Voldi Gailans: Wonderful. Well, that would be lovely, Donna. I look forward to you as well.
47:54
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Have fun on your vacation.
47:57
Voldi Gailans: Thank you.
47:58
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: We will talk to you on the ninth.
48:00
Voldi Gailans: Wonderful, wonderful. Look after yourself, won't you?
48:03
Keep very safe.
48:04
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Yeah. And don't forget to send me the link.
48:08
Voldi Gailans: I won't, of course I won't.
48:10
It'll be, it'll be. It'll be just after we get back from Holland.
48:13
Yes, but but but I will send it on, you know,
48:16
a day or two before.
48:17
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. Take care. Hi, Claire.
48:20
Voldi Gailans: Yeah, lovely. Look after yourself.
48:22
Bye bye.
48:23
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Bye bye.
48:24
Voldi Gailans: Bye bye.
48:28
Podcast Commentator: Donna wants to hear from you and invites you to write to her at donna@gmail.com.
48:34
Until next time.