Hamish Gold, 55, is no stranger to competitive chess, having held the prestigious title of South Island chess champion once in the early 2000s and boasting a New Zealand Chess Federation (NZCF) rating of 1664.
However, no-one expected him to win against Edward Lee, of Invercargill, who has a rating of 2147.
"It’s a bonus to get a win because it doesn’t happen too often.
"It’s an honour to beat one of those guys," Mr Gold said.
He had faced Mr Lee once before at a New Zealand seniors tournament, but lost.
"I was winning that game, but unfortunately I lost it.
"Today, I managed to get my revenge."
Mr Gold was quite an aggressive player and was trying a few different strategies against Mr Lee, but they were not coming off, he said.
After the game, he was a bit weary and still not overly confident going into his second-round game against Nick Cummings, a NZCF 2007-rated player he had never beaten despite playing him at least half a dozen times.
"He’s always had the upper hand against me."
The two had swapped several pieces when Mr Cummings offered him a draw.
Mr Gold said he could not see a path to victory, so accepted.
Tournament organiser Quentin Johnson said 11 players were placed equally with two points each.
Waitaki Boys’ High School maths teacher Greg Familton was responsible for another major upset.
Mr Familton, rated 1678, beat Edward Rains, who has a rating of 2190.
The 65-player tournament continues today.
