At Regent High School, the second half of April marks a time of intense activity: Cambridge mock exams, preparations for the May exam session, and, of course, the final school-leaving exams! Despite this busy period, on the eve of the formal graduation ceremony for Year IV students, we managed to host a chess tournament.
Thirteen students from all year groups participated in the competition, including two girls – Oliwia from Year 2 and Helena from Year 1 – who were also competing for a special prize awarded to the best female player.
As always, the battles on the chessboards were exciting, full of unexpected twists, dramatic oversights, and brilliant combinations. The well-deserved winner, with a perfect score, was the tournament favorite, Franciszek Olechnowicz, who holds a third-category ranking. His impressive result, however, doesn’t fully capture the spirit of the games: in three of his matches, he encountered stiff resistance and had some serious challenges to overcome. If not for his extensive tournament experience (or perhaps the kindness of the chess goddess Caïssa toward a graduating senior!), the final standings could have looked quite different.
Just behind Franek, second to fourth places were shared by Year 3 students Mateusz Martewicz and Jakub Stasiek, along with Filip Rogowski from Year 2 – all with 6 points. Fifth place went to Year 1 student Joshua Kordek, who scored 5.5 points.
The tournament was officially opened with the ceremonial first move made by Headmaster Mariusz Krajewski. Book prizes were funded and presented to the top players by Director Marek Goerick during the graduation ceremony. As is tradition, the tournament room was filled with a fantastic atmosphere and a strong spirit of camaraderie. Witty remarks and bursts of laughter were plentiful – even from those who had to swallow the bitter taste of defeat.
Although May is a month full of intense study and exam challenges, we hope to set aside one day for another chess tournament!
