Northern Star Chess
On Friday, 11 October, Northern Star Chess hosted its biggest Open Finals Chess Competition yet at Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School. There were 390 players on the day. St Aloysius had the privilege of taking two students, Noah Young and Kevin Tran, to this event. These two boys are to be congratulated on qualifying for this event. It was an intense day, playing nine games. The boys played against some very experienced players, and both won several of their games. Although both boys were extremely nervous, after winning their first rounds, their confidence developed. A big congratulations to both Noah and Kevin for representing the College in such a respectful and diligent way. Both boys were able to learn new skills from other players and enjoyed the experience.
Mary De Bono
At first, I was extremely nervous because I thought I had no chance of winning at all since we were competing against all of the finalists in chess from schools all over Melbourne. As the day went on, my nerves eased, and I won four games. I felt relieved to know that I was able to beat some strong opponents who had more experience than men
Kevin Tran
On the morning of the finals chess tournament, I woke up calm; however, as I started my usual morning routine, arrived at school, waited for our transport, and got closer to the tournament, I became increasingly nervous. It was an extremely large venue, which made it more intense, but after winning my first game, I relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the day. It was a lot of fun, and I am grateful for the experience.
Noah Young