Primary Inter-School Chess Round 1

The Chess Spartans won Round One of the Gold Coast Primary Inter-Schools Teams Chess at Robina State School Wednesday 27 March. The top team (Eason Wang, Anson Qu, Melody Yang and Kona Baldock) scored a dominating 23.5/28, and curiously the only points they dropped were against other Somerset players.

Eighty-five Somerset students took on a total of 368 students from 11 schools from Gold Coast South.

The story of the tournament was the emergence onto the scene of several new players, who quietly worked hard in the “off-season” during summer and during last year. Going into the last round, Kona Baldock was coming first on 6/6 and Sasha Hanford second on 5.5/6. The two are great friends at school and regularly battle each other during the lunchtime chess club. They played each other in the last round, and after an epic bout, Kona forced a draw by perpetual check. Thus Kona won individual gold with 6.5/7 and Sasha had to settle with individual bronze on 6/7.

Individual silver was won by Melody Yang, also 6/7, and Anson Qu finished fourth on tie-break with 6/7 as well. Our highest-rated player Eason Wang finished on a respectable =7th on 5/7, but he missed out on individual podium due his losses to two other Somerset players: Aadi Rai and Year 2 rising star Calen Tang, both finishing on an excellent 4.5.

In B Division, our top performers included Harrison Sullivan (5.5, =2nd), Caspar Crampton (5/7, =6th) and Oscar Credland-Ballantyne (5, = 6th). In C Division, Somerset won Team Silver: Nate Van Den Brink (=3rd with 5.5), Angus Fraser (=6th on 5), Austin Dover 4, Lachlan Mathieson 3.5. Also winning individual merit ribbons were Joshua Thompson 4.5 and Kush Veeramachaneni 4.5. Other stand-out performances: Harrison Qu (5 points in D Division), Harper Loon (4.5 in D Division) and William Miller (4.5 in E Division).

Full Results

• A Division
• B Division
• C Division
• D Division
• E Division

Junior Masters and One Day Challenge

Several Somerset students took part last weekend at the Term 1 Junior Masters and One Day Challenge. In the Junior Masters, Eason Wang finished in second place with 5.5/7. Kenny Ming was =4th with 5, Jason Li 7th with 4.5, Anson Qu 4 and Sasha Hanford did well in his first Junior Masters with 3.5.

In the One Day Challenge, Bobby Long had an outstanding result, outright second with 7/8 and his only loss being to the tournament winner. Calen Tang won the 3rd place trophy with 6/8. Also well done to Aadi Rai 5.5, Alessandro Martinese 5, Elijah Hadikusumo 4.5 and Harrison Qu 2.

At the Cookies Chess QLD Rapids, Ben Atia finished an impressive 3rd, with Raphael Atia =4th and =1st A Grade. Equal first in C Grade were Lachlan Hartley and Alessandro Martinese. Melody Yang also won an award for the biggest rating improvement of +27.

Upcoming events 

• Wendy Terry Memorial: 6 to 7 April at Redcliffe, advanced students
• Holiday Chess Program, 15 to 17 April in the Somerset Chess rooms (Brown 2.5 and Toohey 2.6), suitable for all levels!
• Doeberl Cup (Canberra) Thursday 18 April to Monday 22 April, advanced students

We have lots of room left for co-curricular chess next term. Enrol through the My Somerset Community (Electives tab). For Senior School students and intermediate/advanced Junior School students, we are running the Thursday After School Chess Club 3.30 pm to 5.00 pm for Term Two.