Burnside has a very active Chess Club running for two lunchtimes each week.

For the first time this year Burnside fielded four teams in the Christchurch Inter-Secondary Schools Chess Competition (there are four players per team). After a round-robin competition played throughout May and June, the finals were held at Cashmere High School in August. In the A grade our A-team came out on top, winning the competition for the first time since 1998 (when Mr. Wilkes was the coach), with the B-team not far behind them in third place.

Meanwhile in the B grade after a very successful season our C-team got pipped at the post by Christ’s College’s top team to finish second, and the D-team did well to end up fourth, narrowly behind St. Andrew’s A-team.

Early in September the A and B-teams travelled to Ashburton for the South Island Championships. It was a full-on day with seven matches back-to-back. We were slightly under strength but did well to finish runner-up behind Otago Boys High.

Finally the A-team competed, for the first time in many years, in the National Championships. These were held in Halswell in the last school holidays. It was a very challenging couple of days and the team did well to finish second of the South Island teams, and mid-field overall (10th of 18).

Well done to all of the players for the dedication, commitment, and esprit de corps shown.