A record fourteen teams played in the fourteenth annual Otago/Southland Secondary Schools Chess Championships last Saturday in the John McGlashan library.

Competition was fierce from the beginning of round 1 as teams fought not only for the top place in this competition but also the right to represent the region in the South Island and National Championships later this year. The Otago Boys’ A team of Max Lough, Ryan Lau, Ethan Lau and Louie Llanos, faced added pressure by being the defending champions. They got off to a very good start and played a high standard of chess throughout winning 26 of their 28 games with Ethan and Louie remaining unbeaten. They won the competition convincingly with 26 points from James Hargest on 19.5 points. This win means that Otago Boys’ has won this competition for the past eight years and ten times in the fourteen years that it has been held.

The strength of chess at Otago Boys’ was emphasised again on Saturday with the school fielding three teams with the B and C teams finishing 6th and 8th respectively. There is a strong contingent of juniors coming through the ranks which is a good sign for the future.