Interschool Chess

A great way to introduce players to tournament chess is through the Interschool system. Kids Unlimited currently run a series of events throughout the year leading up to State Finals. There are different age divisions to ensure that kids are never too out of their depth:

Secondary (years 7-12)
Middle Years (years 5-9)
Primary (years F-6)
Junior Primary (years F-3)

These tournaments are run in zones across the state and a calendar can be seen on the dedicated Interschool website.

The tournaments are organised and mostly run by Tim who has built up great experience in making them a fun and well run day for everyone.

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Tim

Interschool events are an ideal stepping stone for players to move to the next level, and there are often some very strong players. At yesterday's event in Whitehorse, at Kerrimuir Primary School, one of Australia's top 20 under-12's was playing! Last year's Victorian State Champions, Glendal Primary were up against the 2017 Victorian Champions, Doncaster Gardens. It was always going to be close, but Doncaster Gardens just won out. The full standings can be seen on tornelo where all results are updated immediately they are recorded. This means that parents and teachers can follow the results, as they are happening, even if they're not there!

While the competition is fierce, the emphasis is on fair play, and kids of all standards have a great time, and a great learning experience!

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Handshakes before and after the game help kids to make friends and develop good sportsmanship

Is your school playing Interschool chess? If not then see if there are tournaments coming up near you, and try to get a team. Perhaps you have a team, but you just can't catch the top teams? Then maybe some coaching could help? With Grand Masters, International Masters and some of the most experienced junior coaches in Australia, Kids Unlimited has a fantastic track record of teaching chess to kids!