Chess kids battle it out on a board
Schools from around Hawke’s Bay sent their best movers and shakers to Tamatea Intermediate last week to battle it out on the chess board.
The Inter Schools Primary Chess Power Tournament has been running for at least 20 years, says organiser and assistant principal Jemma Thorogood. Different schools host it each term, with the number of schools attending depending on when and where it is. Hastings and Heretaunga Intermediates, Napier Boys’ High School, Tamatea High School and Sheridan School all sent teams to this term’s tournament. Schools usually enter a team each due to transport costs, Jemma says.
“Everyone plays seven rounds — there are no knock-outs. After the first round, depending on whether you have won or lost, the computer puts you against another player. If you won then you would play another winner and so on until the top two battle it out. For the other less able players, they also get to keep on playing people of similar ability.”
First, second and third placegetters are awarded for each division of primary, intermediate or secondary school.
“This term they introduced badges that could be won for fastest checkmate, checkmate by a knight, running your opponent out of time etc, and these really got the kids excited. Five players from Tamatea Intermediate won an invitation to the regional finals in Auckland in October.”
Tamatea Intermediate runs a chess club every Friday to learn from each other for an hour.
“A stand-out player in the future to watch is Hannah Suckling who won best girl of the tournament,” Jemma says.