It has been a very successful term for the John McGlashan Chess Club, with multiple teams gaining entry to the South Island Championships in September.
Term 2 has been a very industrious time for our Chess Club, and one which has brought with it many successes. The first competition to take place this year was the Dunedin Intermediate Schools competition, which was held at Kavanagh College on June 17. Our intermediate team this year included Martin Brook, John Mengel, Gary Yao and Sheon Luxmanan, all very strong and seasoned players. The competition was fierce, requiring intense concentration. However, in the end, the JMC team triumphed to claim first overall placing, along with qualification for the South Island championships to be held in September.
Only a week later, our players were back in action at the Otago Secondary Schools Senior competition, which was held at Otago Boys' High School. This year we were able to enter three teams, of which two gained a top four placing. The team of Martin Brook, Fraser Reynolds, Harrison Biggs and Jin Young Kim placed a deserved second after being pipped by a strong OBHS team, while the team of Joseph Kim, Krishan Luxmanan, Gary Yao and John Mengel placed an admirable fourth. After gaining second place, the JMC first team will now also attend the South Island championships in September.
Not only did the tournaments provide many great results, but they also accumulated a list of outstanding personal achievements. Martin Brook went undefeated on Board 1 throughout the entire intermediate championship, an astounding feat he followed up in the senior competition by once again going undefeated on Board 1. This was an achievement to be proud of. Meanwhile, at the senior competition, John Mengel had the highest overall points score for Board 4, with 6.5/7 - a commendable effort.
Overall this term has been a very successful term for the JMC chess club, with multiple teams gaining entry to the South Island Championships in September. It is also very pleasing to see an abundance of young talent coming through, especially in the younger boys, as highlighted by the performances of Martin and John. Any players who would like to consider joining the chess club are encouraged to come to Room 34 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, while the Otago Chess Club also provides brilliant tutoring on a weekly basis.
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