3 months ago
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THE GIFTED Chess Foundation, in a partnership with Bridget Sandals, will host its 23rd annual Scholastic Team Chess Championships today at the University of Technology auditorium beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Founded in 2000, the annual Scholastic Team Chess Championships stands as one of the premier stomping grounds for several of Jamaica’s best young chess players.
This year’s competition will be split across primary and preparatory school, all-girls, under-eight, and junior high categories.
Each registered school will be allowed to enter five teams per category. The games will be quick with three minutes per move, each expected to last 15 minutes.
At last year’s championships, St Andrew Preparatory claimed the champion school title in the open section.
They narrowly beat Hillel Academy and Emmanuel Christians Academy to the category title, a feat they will be hopeful of repeating.
St Jago High took the sub-junior high category title last year, topping a talented selection of teams on their way to victory.
Then, they had gotten the better of Campion College, a rivalry they will no doubt reignite once again.
Holy Childhood Preparatory will enter the under-eight category as defending champions, having gone unbeaten last year.
They clipped St Andrew Prep, second, and Morris Knibb Prep, third, on their way to the title.
Immaculate Conception High are the defending champions in the all-girls’ category, the girls from Constant Spring also recording a perfect record.
Trailing Immaculate in the all-girls category last year were Creative Kids Learning Academy and St Andrew Prep.
The Gifted Chess Championships has seen year-on-year growth with the last iteration boasting in excess of 100 teams.
That number was more than double the turnout the championship had seen the year before.
English (US) ·