Recently, four of us, who had won on the chess ladders in the library in school, were lucky enough to attend a large chess competition in St. Andrews College. When we arrived, we were greeted by some lovely students who directed us to the massive sports hall where the opening ceremony was held. There was a massive turnout of about 500 people across many schools. Four St. Andrew’s students took to the stage and explained how the day would run while throwing in a few chess-themed jokes.
The students had made a website that told you where you were playing next and where your place was on the leaderboard. We played five games in total and attended an opening and closing ceremony. They had a great setup with about 180 boards spread over three areas and a lot of non-chess activities too, such as face painting, board games, practice rooms, and great outdoor areas to sit at.
They generously provided lunch and also had a tuck shop with some home-baked goods as well. There was a great feeling of community with all the students, even students not involved in chess, giving up their day off to help run the event. They finished the day off with a medal presentation and speeches from some people from the Irish chess community, such as the head of the Irish Chess Union. It was a great atmosphere with some very dedicated and some very talented chess players. The standard was high. It would be great if more students from our school or other girls' schools played, as it was predominantly full of boys' schools.
Overall, it was a very well-organised day with students who clearly put a lot of effort into the day, and we are all grateful to have the opportunity to attend. Thank you to Ms. Keely and Ms. Johnston for bringing us. If anyone is interested in playing, Ms. Kealy welcomes everyone to the library on Mondays at lunchtime (Chess lessons available for beginners) and at lunch during the rest of the week.
Cordelia L. and Cora F.
2nd Year