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It’s checkmate for a group of chess players who have been playing at the Sunshine Golf and Country Club for 18 years after management decided the tables in its lounge were for paying customers.

The half-dozen players, who aren’t members at the club, had been getting together three mornings a week for some friendly competition up until about a month ago, when management asked them not to return.

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“We’ve always been welcome to play there,” said Gordon Walker, who has complained to the club.

He said the players are buying coffee and breakfast and populating an otherwise empty room and said the club should be happy for the business.

“It’s as big as a barn and it’s always completely empty,” he said.

“We’re not bothering anyone,” said Walker. “We’re bringing joy to people.”

He drew a parallel to the chess playersrecently evictedfrom the food court at the Park Royal Shopping Centre in West Vancouver. Those players have had the mayor stand up for them and have said they will defy the ban.