ESHS sweeps chess tourney

After two days of competition, Elmore Stoutt High School won the annual Inter-Secondary School Chess Tournament last week at the Multi-purpose Sports Complex.

The school emerged champion of both the junior and senior divisions, repeating last year’s success while also securing all the “top player” awards in both categories, according to government.

The tournament — which is hosted annually by the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports — drew participation from eight public and private schools from across the territory.

Bregado Flax Educational Centre from Virgin Gorda took second in the senior division and third in the junior division.

St. George’s Secondary School also made its mark, finishing third in the senior division and second in the junior division.

In the primary division, individual honours were also closely contested.

Top prizes went to Isaiah Smith of St. George’s Primary, while Kalon Christopher of Agape Total Life Academy placed second. Third went to Timoi Scatliffe of St. George’s.

Competitors

Other competing schools included Cedar International School, Claudia Creque Educational Centre, Imagination Academy VI, the VI School of Technical Studies and the Ciboney Centre for Excellence.

The event is part of the ministry’s “Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead” initiative, which promotes chess as a tool for developing logic, emotional discipline and strategic thinking, according to government.

Leading up to the competition, schools used various strategies to prepare.

ESHS, for instance, hosts a “Chess at Lunch” programme under the guidance of coaches Alandell Williams, Dennis Gill and Careen Cuffy-Jules.