Botany Downs Secondary College [BDSC] has unseated favourites Macleans College to win the East Auckland Secondary Interschool Chess Championship.
Both teams have qualified to the national chess championships in September.
Josh Little, a year 13 student from BDSC and leader of the BDSC Chess Club, was in the team that came to “dethrone the reigning champions Macleans College”.
“I understand their reign lasted for seven years since the inception of the tournament.”
The competition, on June 1 at Bucklands Beach Intermediate School ,featured 21 teams, just shy of 100 students, from various schools in the east Auckland area.
“This win is quite sentimental and poignant to us because this is only Botany’s second year competing in the tournament,” said Little.
“It took blood, sweat, and tears – literal tears from me – organising to go to this tournament. Nevertheless, it was worth it because Botany doubled its turnout from last year, sending four teams.
“Most importantly we managed to pull off an upset, winning the tournament and qualifying for nationals in September.
“My late pop (grandfather) taught me how to play at 7; I tear up thinking about how proud he would be of me. If you try your best, you can succeed even against insurmountable odds.
“The game of chess is very dear to my heart. I would love it if we could encourage more students, schools, and the general public to play more; it’s a great game, which should not only be played by older gentlemen and prestigious private schools; it should be a game for everyone, no matter who you are.”
Howick’s Paul Spiller, vice president of the New Zealand Chess Federation, was involved in helping to organise the tournament.
“It and it was great to see a record number (40) of intermediate and secondary school teams. Overall organiser was Howick club member Allan Han who is a year 13 student at Macleans College.
The Howick Pakuranga Chess Club, of which Spiller is life member and secretary, assisted with providing equipment and manpower.
This week the club is hosting an even bigger primary school’s tournament at Point View Primary School with 56 teams and around 230 children, the biggest in New Zealand. Overall organiser for this event is former NZ Women’s Champion Winnie Ong assisted by Howick Pakuranga Chess Club members.
Results:
East Auckland Secondary Interschool Chess Championship
1 Botany Downs A; 2 Macleans A; 3 Saint Kentigern A; 4 Pakuranga A.
East Auckland Intermediate Interschool Chess Championship
1 Somerville A; 2 Bucklands Beach A; 3 Kings A, 4 Bucklands Beach C.
