On 31 August the Junior School participated in the 2021 Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPSHA) Chess Day. Held at St Stephen’s in Duncraig, about 80 players participated from 10 or more schools.
For our players, it was their first time playing in a tournament and using clocks. Many found the first round quite daunting but as the day progressed, they adapted to the pressure, learned from their mistakes and at times displayed great persistence and determination to come back and either draw or win from difficult situations.
Chess is played with the purpose of developing strategic and tactical thinking, resilience and perseverance, as well as learning to both win and lose graciously. The whole team is to be commended for their excellent behaviour.
Following this day, our team competed in our first online chess tournament, playing in an event hosted in Ballarat which involved players from Wyndham, Perth and Tasmania. Again, it was a tough day as our team was playing against much more experienced players, but they learned a lot and most of all enjoyed the whole experience. The site used was www.home.tornelo.com and we are planning to host our own online events using this site next year.
To all the players, well done.
Mr Don Smith
Teacher / Enrichment and Extension Coordinator
