At the recent Art at the Capitol event, UH English teacher Cornelius Rubsamen won 20 simultaneous chess matches in an exhibition match against ranked scholastic youth.
Photo Essay: National Chess Master Challenges Young Players
At the recent Art at the Capitol event, UH English teacher Cornelius Rubsamen won 20 simultaneous chess matches in an exhibition match against ranked scholastic youth.
Thirteen-time Hawaiʻi State Champion, National Master Cornelius Rubsamen is a blur of action as he simultaneously plays 20 players during the Hawaiʻi Chess Federation’s installation at the Art at the Capitol event. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
It was almost like the movie “Groundhog Day” as the university English teacher simultaneously played 20 chess matches, moving from one to the next, winning. Over and over again.
Although a couple of matches caused him to pause and linger, for the most part, he kept moving clockwise inside the rectangle of tables. He seemed to embody the theme of the 16th annual Art at the Capitol event: “Kālena, the Talent of Hawai‘i.”
Rubsamen makes his way clockwise around the group of tables, moving from one opponent to the next. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Mind you, while his opponents were highly ranked in their own rights, they were probably less than a quarter his age.
Alexander Yu contemplates his next move against Hawaiʻi’s highest-rated active chess player, National Master Cornelius Rubsamen. Yu was the first player checkmated by Rubsamen. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Rubsamen taps the chess clock after making his move in one match before moving on to the next. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)With the room full, spectators watch through an open door as Rubsamen plays. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
At one point, onlookers filled most of the seats while others peered in through the open door. The live taiko drumming in the atrium from another event didn’t seem to distract Rubsamen, although he swayed a bit to the beat of the drums.
Rubsamen pauses at the match against Christopher Bueno, the second-to-last player to be eliminated. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Rubsamen moved from board to board, taking about five seconds before making a move. At one point, he stood in front of a board for about 15 seconds. An eternity.
Rubsamen captures Kevin Ji’s bishop. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Trying to capture Rubsamen’s next move on camera was tricky. His hand flew as fast as a baseball player transferring the ball from mitt to throw.
John Adams Bell winces after National Master Cornelius Rubsamen’s move. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Rubsamen looks at the board he’s playing against Christopher Tanaka, far right, while playing Christopher Bueno at the same time. Tanaka and Bueno were the last two players standing after Rubsamen had already checkmated 18 players. Bueno lost soon after this photo was taken. Then Rubsamen went on to win it all. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
One might not think of the game of chess as an art form like a painting or performing art. But the skill and strategy required to play one game, let alone 20, showcased Rubsamen’s talent. In addition to continuing to play at an elite level, he coaches scholastic-age players and members of the Hawaiʻi Chess Federation.
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