TOP

​ It’s your move! Woodleigh Junior Campus Chess Tournament

If you entered the Minimbah Hall on Tuesday 8 November, you would’ve been greeted by the excited hum of 50 Woodleigh Junior Campus students, strategising and putting their best piece forward.

Yes – it was the inaugural Woodleigh Junior Campus Chess Tournament, with 48 Minimbah students (5 absent due to illness) and 7 students from Penbank, battling it out across the checkered boards.

Students from Years 1 – 6 played 6 rounds of chess across the whole morning, playing in either the Junior (Years 1-3) or Senior (Years 4-6) Division. They were able to experience the context of competition Chess; from reading the pairings for each round and identifying their board location and colour, to using timers and seeking clarification from the competition director, Anthony.

This was a wonderful opportunity for Minimbah students who love to play chess, or who are learning through our afterschool activity, to put their skills and knowledge to the test, in a safe and familiar environment.

We are expecting that this in-house tournament will become an annual event and that the Minimbah Chess team will return to an interschool competition in 2023.

Well Done and thank you to all of the students who participated! It was fantastic to see your enthusiasm and sportsmanship on display throughout the morning.

A special congratulations to the place-getters in each Division, as it was very close between the top 5-6 players in each division:

Junior – 3rd – JJ Horne 2nd – Charlie Cary 1st – Byron Simmonds

Senior – 3rd – Oscar Farmer 2nd – Dallas Teleskivi 1st – James Law

Thank you also to Sammy Nutt and Franny Cook for ensuring the Penbank students could join us for the morning. Thanks also to the Minimbah staff and students for their help in setting and packing up.

And to Anthony, the competition director, for his patience, knowledge, and for sharing his love of chess with the students.

GABBY WILLIAMS
Inclusion Teacher