With lots of hard work and effort, the Sancta Maria chess team had another successful tournament over at Buckland’s Beach intermediate. With more than twenty teams competing, it was a brutal fight for the top placings, but our chess team once again comes out on top.
Held by the New Zealand Chess Federation, the tournament had six rounds and a time control of fifteen minutes. Players competed in teams of four, each with a designated board to play on. They would then play opponents from other teams on the same board. If at least three players in the team won their match, it would be considered a win. Wins earn the team two points, draws earn the team one point, and losses earn the team no points.
Sancta Maria’s team:
Board 1: Brillion Lau
Board 2: Aaron Santoso
Board 3: Kendrew Wong
Board 4: Samuel Hanna/Vince Abella (Alternating)
For the first few rounds, things were looking bright for Sancta Maria. They fought for every pawn, calculated each move, and recovered from their mistakes. They had a winning streak and were coming first place! But as they progressed through the tournament, opponents got harder, and nervousness started to creep in. Although Sancta Maria’s team had a few losses and draws, they managed to bring back bronze medals and win third place overall! Well done!
Another congratulations to Brillion Lau, whom, with a perfect score of 6/6, was awarded as the best player on Board 1 in the entire tournament.
A big thanks to Mrs David, who organized the competition, and Mrs McKell who provided transport. If you would like to join events like this, come along to our weekly meetings on Mondays and Thursdays. We would like to see you there!
