On the 6th of June, four John McGlashan minds went to war with Otago's most elite chess tacticians.
Words by Tomide A, Year 9 Student
The high-stakes Otago Primary and Intermediate Teams Championship 2026 transformed the Trinity Catholic College into a silent battlefield.
Organised by the International Organiser Quentin Johnson, this grueling 7-round Swiss-system tournament threw Alex C, Liam M, Ray S, and Andrew S right into action.
After a rough first round, the boys bounced back by obliterating Macandrew Bay in Round 2, with a 4-0 sweep. This was followed by a brutal Round 3 beatdown from Balmacewen A, the squad that ultimately came out on top.
Rounds 4 and 5 offered calmer games, resulting in draws against George Street Normal School’s A and B teams.
During Round 5, there was a disputed result on Board 1, resulting in Alex not being
awarded a win that he earned.
Despite this setback, the boys kept their composure and went through the last two rounds with back-to-back wins: one secured via a bye, and the other clinched by a razor-thin half-point margin!
By the end of the event, the John McGlashan College Intermediate Chess Team walked away with a 4th place finish in the Intermediate section, accumulating 4 crucial team points.
A massive shoutout goes to Liam M and Ray S, who dominated on Boards 2 and 3 respectively, getting 6/7 and 5.5/7 points.
A huge thank you to all the parents that supported the team throughout the day, and to our new chess coordinator, Mrs. Phillips.
Our JMC masters were pleased with how the competition went, but they are locked in and preparing for the next war.
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