Express fuels Mona Prep Chess Invitational’s goal of stimulating young minds

Improving the thought process among children, with prizes as a bonus, will be the focal point of the Mona Preparatory School Invitational Chess Tournament, which takes place at the Old Hope Road-based institution today, following a one-year break.

“We’re putting on the competition to stimulate the minds of our youths and to create a space where they can be free to express their creative thinking and also their practical and strategic competences,” shared Odean White, president of Mona Prep’s Parent Teacher’s Association.

Many past winners and a host of top-rated junior players are registered to participate at the tournament that organisers say would not have been possible without the backing of chief sponsor Express Canteen Services Limited.

“Express Canteen is our title sponsor. Without their financial sponsorship, it would not have been possible to stage the event. We value the partnership because we see Express Canteen as a critical stakeholder in our student development. They nourish our students with food and now they’re partnering with us, the PTA, and the school itself, to nourish the intellectual capacity of our youth,” said White.

OPEN TO SCHOOLS AND CLUBS

The tournament, which is open to prep and primary schools, as well as chess clubs from all across the island, will bring together representatives of 13 schools and five clubs.

White says they have a long-term goal of pioneering the game’s prominence in schools to the point where it compares with the more popular sports that are played extensively among children in Jamaica.

“You have traditional sports, you have cricket, you have football, netball, but we’re trying to promote chess as a mainstream sport in prep schools and primary schools all over the island,” he said.

Also, the tournament this year bears special significance because it’s the school’s 60th anniversary.

“As a school, we’re 60 this year and our theme for the 60th anniversary is ‘Milestones of Noble Achievement’. So we’re celebrating milestones of noble achievements this year and, going forward, we intend to do even bigger things and have an even bigger impact on our community. And this competition is going to give us that platform to do that,” he stated.

Competition will be on similar class levels, counting through grades one to six. Prizes will be awarded to the top five in each grade, with first to third receiving a trophy, and medals going to the fourth- and fifth-place finishers. All participants will receive a certificate of participation.

AWARD FOR TOP FEMALES

Abigail McIntosh, a long-time member of the planning committee, says there is an award to encourage female numbers playing the game.

“The top girl in each grade will receive a trophy because the sport of chess is trying to encourage girls to participate,” McIntosh said.

She also noted that Kingston Bookshop is a sponsor and will provide “gift certificates for them to purchase books and educational material”.

A number of players have earned prizes in recent stagings, including former top girl Dayna-Simone Swasey of Immaculate Conception Prep, Mona’s Christian Brooks, Raheem Gayle and Liam Delisser, Holy Childhood Prep’s Jahmani Brown and Tyler Chang of Hopefield Prep.

Brooks and Gayle made it to the top 10 in the under-12 category at the national championships, and there are other top Jamaica players who will be participating, such as reigning under-8 boys’ and girls’ champions, Khalel Davy, and joint girls’ winners Rhea Gardener and Nyah Wood, respectively. Rushawn Henry, Yeney Terry Gordon, Jordan Mantock, Aiden Brown and Jhennyssa Trowers are other highly ranked Jamaica juniors in the U10 and U12 categories that are likely to go deep into the tournament.