BACKThe Auckland Girls Chess Championship took place on Sunday, 16 June, bringing together 142 talented players from across the region. Our team put in an incredible performance, with Sarah Sun (Y11) taking 1st place in the Open category and being crowned Best Girl Player in Auckland. Yolanda Zhang placed 8th, and Melody Wei 15th, both earning well-deserved medals. For Wota Li, it was her very first tournament, and she impressed with a 40th-place finish.
Just six weeks later, on Wednesday, 30 July, we competed at the North Shore Secondary Schools Regional Chess Championship, entering three teams. Every single one of our 12 players earned a medal and certificate, and our top team placed 1st overall, qualifying for the National Finals in September. Special mention goes to Sarah Sun (Best Girl Player), and Preeyansh Roul, Sunny Truong, and Hyun Kim, who each won all six of their games.
We, the Chess Club participants, meet every Tuesday at lunchtime to improve our skills. Each week, about 35–50 students gather to play chess, and we also create opportunities for less experienced players to participate in beginner-friendly tournaments.
