Chess Tournament at Regent High School: A Thrilling Competition and Great Atmosphere
On Tuesday, December 3rd, the long-awaited chess tournament took place at Regent High School. Fourteen high school students and a special guest, our alumnus and last year’s graduate Wojciech Bernaszuk, competed. A total of 8 rounds were played at a pace of 10 minutes per game with a 3-second increment after each move. A new rule required players to record their games up to the 12th move, allowing for analysis of the openings played in the Regent Chess Club.
The fight for the podium lasted until the final round, as the winner, Franciszek Olechnowicz from grade 4, had a group of rivals constantly „breathing down his neck” and conceded two draws along the way. Jakub Stasiek (newly minted fourth category!) took second place with a score only half a point lower, and third place went to the most experienced player in the field, Wojciech, who was unexpectedly thwarted by an elegant victory by Aleksander Stankiewicz from grade 3.
The first-graders also deserve recognition for their very good debut, competing boldly with their older colleagues. The best of this three-person group was Josh Kordek (4 points), who shared 4th-6th places with Aleksander and Mateusz Martewicz. Unfortunately, a turn of events in two games spoiled the result for Jakub Jankowski, who very seriously threatened the tournament winner and had a real chance for the podium, but in the heat of the moment made two big oversights.
The battles on the chessboards were as fierce as ever, but there was a great, friendly atmosphere, with no shortage of jokes, laughter, and cheering for teammates after finishing their games. George from grade 2 impressed with his progress in mastering the Polish language, commenting (sometimes very spontaneously) on his games.
The best three were awarded book prizes by the School Director, Mr. Marek Goerick.
The chess players were satisfied with the playing conditions and the excitement and immediately expressed a desire to play another tournament this semester.
The spirit of sportsmanship is very strong in our school!
The detailed results are presented in the attached table.
