On Monday 6 June, 10 students participated in the first Prem Chess Tournament. The friendly competition came about due to the enthusiasm of students in the Chess Club, and their clear natural ability and enjoyment of the game.

The tournament followed the FIDE  (Federation Internationale de Echecs) laws of chess and was played with the Swiss chess system. Each contestant played seven rounds of 20 minutes each without a chess clock.

This meant there was no time for them to be “too conservative” as they had to use more aggressive strategies to gain more points within the time limit.

It was great to see how these young players improved their chess tactics as a result of practicing in the Chess Club and in their spare time. 

Our overall individual winners were Mir and Pae who both achieved 6 wins and out of 7 games. The runners-up were Kevin and Ben with 4 wins and 3 losses each; the third places were taken by Oscar and Pea with 3 wins and 4 losses. 

‘In Korea, I learned by playing in the national chess tournament for two years. My parents are very supportive of letting me learn and play the fascinating game of chess. I guess the tips of winning a game is to focus on finding the blunders of your opponents quickly while avoiding your own ones at the same time.’ Mir, Grade 5.

 ‘My father often plays chess with me at home and it helps me to have better focus on other things in life as well. I did learn some useful skills from others and I can do better next time.’ Noa, Grade 4