Due to the recent online boom of chess, there was a lot of anticipation for the Annual UHC chess tournament, and it didn't disappoint! Year 13 student Anjola Sigbeku runs us through the action.

This year Upper Hutt College held a seven round swiss tournament instead of the old knockout format to ensure the true chess champion of Upper Hutt College is crowned. 

The new Swiss format ensures fair pairings as participants play people on similar points to them. The person with the most points wins overall. Each player is awarded 1 point for a win, 0.5 points for a draw and 0 points for a loss. 

The first round kicked off on the 15th of May in the school library with 32 students from all year groups engaging in fierce battles over the board. As the rounds progressed the atmosphere got more competitive with stunning upsets, hard fought victories and hanging rooks. 

It all came to a climatic end in the final round when Cazna Campbell clinched the first place position with 7 points, Edison Yang coming in second place with 6 points and Vetri Senthilkumar securing third place with 5.5 points. 

The next day all the players were treated to lunch and the top three players were presented with their prizes. Participants demonstrated exceptional skills, strategic thinking, and sportsmanship throughout the whole event which not only fostered healthy competition but also encouraged a friendly atmosphere. 

The tournament was a momentous success, leaving both players and spectators eagerly awaiting future chess tournaments in the school community.