The Leader Nelson edition

One night in Hamilton beckons for students

- TIM O'CONNELL

Students of Nelson College Preparator­y School must be saying ‘‘checkmate’’ in their sleep, having been crowned kings of intermedia­te chess in the region.

Along with older Nelson College students, the Year 7 and 8 boys are members of the school’s chess club, where they learn the strategies and nuances of the board game from Nelson Chess Club president Dan Dolejs and club co-ordinator Vikki Heays.

The tuition seems to have paid off, with the school dominating the Chess Power Nelson Zone Term 2 Interschoo­l competitio­n at Nayland College last month.

Prep teams came first and third in the intermedia­te section, bookending the second-placed Nelson intermedia­te team and ahead of other teams from Mapua School and Broadgreen Intermedia­te.

Individual members of the winning intermedia­te A team – Samuel White, Freddy Griffiths, Samuel Holmes and Samuel Brookes – took out the top four positions, while Alex Bryant came sixth out of 39 registered players.

Following their success, Prep will now each send a five-person team to the Chess Power teams national finals held at Hillcrest High School in Hamilton on October 28-29.

According to Brookes, the key to winning the game of strategy is predicting and recognisin­g patterns and taking advantage of an opponent’s weaknesses.

The boys were undecided as to what piece is the most valuable on the board, with the queen and knight deemed equally useful when plotting an opponent’s downfall.

Chess is believed to have originated in India around the 6th century, where it was called Chaturanga.

 ?? PHOTO: TIM O’CONNELL/ FAIRFAX NZ ?? Checkmates: Enthusiasm and strategic nous for chess has taken Nelson College Preparator­y students to a national tournament in Hamilton later this year.
PHOTO: TIM O’CONNELL/ FAIRFAX NZ Checkmates: Enthusiasm and strategic nous for chess has taken Nelson College Preparator­y students to a national tournament in Hamilton later this year.

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