KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM National chess champion Robert Lau was lauded at the Legislature Wednesday. Joining him were dad Brad Lau and mom Linda Inouye.

Dedicated Mililani siblings
win national chess recognition

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By Sally Apgar
sapgar@starbulletin.com

Robert Lau, 11, likes to wallow in a little glory when he can beat his older sister, Emily, at chess.

At home in Mililani, where the two nationally ranked competitive chess players are home schooled, Robert said, ''We play just for fun and I usually win."

But when the two hit the National Chess Championship circuit and play opposite one another, Emily, 15, beats him.

"She takes more time for each move in a tournament than at home,'' said Robert, explaining the intricate dynamics of sibling rivalry.

In December at the National K-12 Championships in Atlanta, Robert scored a perfect 6-0, which propelled him to first place among the 238 players competing in the K-6 grade level section. It also made Robert Hawaii's first national chess champion.

That time, Emily played in a separate age level from Robert. She tied for 17th place for 10th graders.

Last week, Robert, who has played in more than 80 tournaments, was honored at City Hall and at the Legislature for his accomplishments in competitive chess.

Rep. Guy P. Ontai (R-Mililani, Waipio) who praised Robert in a short ceremony on the House floor Wednesday, said in an interview that "Robert is the first, home-grown, bona fide Hawaii resident who is a national chess champion. It's a very big deal. You can't just get lucky and win at chess."

Ontai said: "The world of competitive chess is very tough. Imagine 2,500 kids from K through 12 sitting down at the same time in a room and that room goes completely quiet. Each game is a four- to six-hour struggle and you can make a little mistake and spend the next hour making up for it. Competitive chess is intense thinking and intellectual combat."

In a typical tournament, Robert says he plays about seven games.

Ontai is the president of the Mililani Chess Club, where Robert and his sister have played weekly for the last few years. Their older sister Kate, 18, who now attends Brown University, also played at the same club for a few years.

Comparing his two sisters, Robert said: "Emily is much better than Kate and is harder to beat. I help Kate because she is behind us now."

Robert's mom, Linda Inouye, who has home-schooled all three children, is quick to say that her children have interests beyond chess. Robert plays piano, violin and basketball. Emily plays percussion ukulele and piano and wrote a play that was performed at the Honolulu Theatre for Youth. Kate writes music.

"These kids prove what is possible with home-schooling. They are really well-rounded kids who play chess well but also have other skills and talents," said Randy Prothero, president of the Hawaii Chess Federation, who has known the three siblings for years, partly through the Mililani Chess Club, where he is director.

Emily, the former Hawaii Intermediate School state champion, is proud of her brother's national standing and win. "This is huge for the chess community," she said. "This is the biggest thing we've had."

She said Robert is good at chess because he "is a hard worker. He's talented, but it's mostly that he's a hard worker and patient. "

KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM Rep. Joseph Souki and other House members congratulated Robert Lau on Wednesday for winning a national championship in chess. His parents looked on.

In addition to his national title, Robert won eighth place in the K-6 Blitz Competition that was also held in Atlanta last December. In April, he won first place in the K-6 Blitz Championship and second place in the K-5 Championship, which were both held at the 2002 National Elementary School Chess Championships in Portland, Ore.

In Hawaii tournaments, Robert won first place overall in the 2002 Interscholastic Chess Championships for grades K-12. He has been a member of the Homeschool Chess Team, which took first place twice in the Hawaii K-12 team competition in 2001-2002.

Robert and Emily take weekly lessons from their coach, Cornelias Rubsamen, the state's reigning open chess champion. Emily is beginning to coach beginners and assists Rubsamen at Mililani Middle School.

"Overall, Robert is a more aggressive player and Emily is more positional," said Rubsamen, adding, "Robert is a very well-rounded player. He adapts to what is happening on the board and that is very important."

When Robert was 4 and Emily was 8, their dad, Bradley Lau, a physician at Kaiser Permanente Medical Care, taught them how to play chess. At the time, their older sister, Kate, also played.

Robert took to chess and began playing at rated tournaments by the age of six. By seven, Robert said he could beat his father. Asked if his father ever plays chess with him anymore, Robert just laughs.

Prothero said: "You can't take Robert or Emily lightly as competitors. When Robert was younger, I could beat him. But about two years ago, it got harder. And now, I'm chasing him. He always wins."