Inter-school chess tournament extends students
Battling it out, Josh Henderson (Collingwood Area School) and Wil Roberston-King (Motupipi School). Standing just behind them is Golden Bay High School teacher and competition organiser Jonny Anderson. Photo: Gerard Hindmarsh.
Collingwood Area School hosted an interschool chess tournament on 19 May as part of the Bay-wide programme for gifted and talented children.
Rather than the serious and concentrated silence one might expect from adults in such a competition, the 24 primary and intermediate pupils from Central Takaka, Motupipi, Takaka Primary, Golden Bay High and Collingwood Area schools kept up an excitable chatter. They spent the day playing eight quick-paced games each, starting with a round robin, semi-finals and finals to decide the top spot in the two categories - years five and six, and years seven and eight – overall ages ranging from nine years to 12.
High school teacher and organiser Jonny Anderson said the day was formally structured not only to get through the complicated timetable but also to get the players used to serious competition.
“Games not completed in 20 minutes were judged on a point basis taking into account major pieces taken, while after every game, competitors were expected to shake hands, reset the board, complete and hand in their result card, plus rehydrate and stretch before getting straight into another round. It was a big day for everyone, and all the kids really appreciated being able to play a semi-final and final round.” Participants had been selected through knockout tournaments at their own schools.
Parents who came along to help were surprised at not only the level of excitement pervading the room during games but also the children’s level of concentration.
Sue King of Wainui Bay made some observations. “You couldn’t help but notice that there were only two girl players amongst the 24 attending. Also that a good third of them were left-handed.”
The Bay-wide gifted and talented programme was conceived last year as a way of helping obviously intelligent children and other pupils at primary and intermediate levels who typically excel in one or two areas. Jonny said it was about extending kids who display talents and steering them towards higher achievement.
“This term we have the chess tournament, but last term it was a poetry writing competition. Nikki Ryan of Harcourts is now arranging trophies for the winning schools and medals for championship winners, so it’s not only bragging rights the winners have earned the rights to.”
Gerard Hindmarsh
Results. Central Takaka School (CTS), Motupipi School (MS), Takaka Primary School (TPS), Collingwood Area School (CAS), Golden Bay High School (GBHS).
Year 5/6 Championship. 1st. Jamal Greally (CTS), 2nd. Josh Ryan (MS), 3rd. Wil Robertson-King (MS), 4th. Corbin Ritchie (MS), 5th. Brady Stone (TPS), 6th. Morgan Davies (TPS), 7th. Aiden Auty (CTS), 8th. Angus Shelley (MS).
Year 5/6 Plate Results (second tier). 1st. Jayden Thompson (TPS), 2nd. Leonard Mason (CTS), 3rd. Jasper Turner (CTS), 4th. Caleb Beck (CAS), 5th. Liam Potts (TPS), 6th. Josh Henderson (CAS), 7th. Luke Hikuroa (CAS), 8th. Shannon McLellan (CAS).
Year 7/8 Championship. 1st. Jarvis Ambler (GBHS), 2nd. Awatea Birch (CAS), 3rd. Calvin Wilkinson (GBHS), 4th. Joshua Richards (CAS), 5th. Turi Hikuroa (CAS), 6th. Alfred Condell (GBHS), 7th. Blake Wilson (GBHS), 8th. Zeb Terry-Moir (CAS),
Overall team results Year 5/6. 1st. Motupipi (17 points) 2nd. Central (29 points), 3rd. Takaka (33 points), 4th. Collingwood (47 points).
