Calgary Journal Online

Calgary fencers bound for the Alberta Winter Games

Chess: a battle of the minds.

Two players maneuver through each other as they hunt down the King.

Exchange the pawns and bishops for swords and guards; the board for a 14-metre-long battlefield.

Fencing: a physical battle of the minds.

Two opponents flash their weapons, seeking an opening in their adversary's defence.

Davidson, a 15-year-old foil-class fencer, and five other Calgary fencers are headed to the Alberta Winter Games this weekend in the Lakeland area in Northeastern Alberta for three straight days of competition.

The group will compete in individual and team events against athletes from across the province.

The Calgary team’s head coach Pauline Andreychenko said their key to victory at the Winter Games will be staying focused at all times.

"It's about not making any mistakes and not getting sloppy or lazy, especially if you feel like you are fencing somebody weaker," Andreychenko said. "A lot of people will let their guard down. It's about trying to do everything right and keep thinking."

"Basically if one person makes a mistake you can take advantage of that."

While a chess games can last hours, an entire fencing match can last mere minutes.

Each round lasts a maximum of three minutes or until a fencer scores 15 points. A point is scored when a fencer tags the other athlete with their sword. With the foil or epee, the tip of the sword must make contact; with the sabre, any part of the blade can be used.

Fencer Xavier Davidson practices at the Gladiator fencing club earlier this week in preparation for the Alberta Winter Games this weekend.

Photo: Ivan Danielewicz/ Calgary Journal

Fourteen-year-old fencer Jason Wychopen, one of Davidson’s teammates at the Winter Games and at the Calgary-based Gladiator Fencing Club, said it was the speed that drew him towards the game and the sabre-class.

"(The) sabre is much faster and requires quicker thinking," Wychopen said. "You can hit with the whole blade, and I like that because you get to choose your targets more."

"The refs usually don't press the start button on the timer, because at most it takes about four seconds (to score) a point," Wychopen said.

Andreychenko has high hopes for Wychopen at the Winter Games.

"I think he will win it," Andreychenko said. "Wychopen’s really on top of things. He really likes to listen and pays attention, and for a coach that's really good because he does what's asked of him and doesn't fool around. That's going to bring him up and make him better than the rest really fast."

Wychopen is currently ranked first overall in Alberta in the U15 age group for boy's sabre by the Alberta Fencing Association. He’s also competed in the U17 category and is ranked fifth.

Wychopen said he's felt added pressure to perform at the Winter Games because of his top ranking.

"When you're ranked highly, then people look at you and think that you should win," Wychopen said. "If you lose, then people look at you oddly...."

Davidson, on the flip-side, is unfazed by his top 10 provincial ranking.

"I haven't checked in awhile," said Davidson, who sits sixth overall in the U17 boy's foil category. "There isn't any extra pressure (for me) at a competition like (the Alberta Winter Games), because throughout the year, I've fenced against a lot of the other people who are in this category in the province.

"It's just another tournament."

Andreychenko said Davidson’s chilled-out attitude is the key to his success as a fencer.

"Davidson is more relaxed and in fencing that's good," Andreychenko said. "When your body isn't tense, it gives your mind more time to work and so you can strategize better.

"In this game, it's about outplaying your opponent."

Checkmate.