KNIGHTS went into battle and there were moves fit for a queen yesterday as Bathurst students tested their chess skills.
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They were competing in the annual NSW Junior Chess League Primary School Competition, vying to represent the Bathurst region.
Ten teams from four schools competed against each other, and it was the St Philomena’s A side which eventually took out the Bathurst title late yesterday afternoon.
That side will now take on another regional title winner, most likely from Orange, in the next two months.
Bathurst competition convener Shane Hanley said teams from The Scots School, St Phil’s, Assumption School and Holy Family competed in yesterday’s titles.
Mr Hanley said all the teams competed against each other during the day, and the winning team moved on to the regional championships.
He said competition in yesterday’s Bathurst titles was strong – but everyone also had fun.
“The kids really enjoy it, and it’s a great opportunity for them to represent their school.
“Each game is played over a maximum of 25 minutes and, if required, we then adjudicate the winner by the positions on the board. We’d love to keep the games going all day, but it’s simply not practical in this type of competition.”
Interestingly, the competition used to be held after school over a 15-week period, but moved into its current format a few years ago to make it more accessible for students.
Mr Hanley said it was great to see so many students competing in the title and said chess was enjoying a popularity spurt as students learn “the benefit of concentration which flows through to their school work”.
“Here at St Phil’s, our chess club has 54 kids involved and it’s probably similar in most of the other schools – it’s very popular,” he said.