International Chess Day: Fairfield’s success
A look back on our chess success at Fairfield!
In celebration of International Chess Day, we at Fairfield would like to highlight the success of our incredibly talented chess players. This past year, we have had pupils competing at national levels, surpassing several experienced chess masters along the way, as well as representing Fairfield in the prestigious Chess Federation’s Primary Schools Team Challenge!
In June, a team of five pupils travelled up to the University of Nottingham, where they competed in five rounds of fiercely competitive chess against some of the top chess-playing schools in the country.
The National Finals were attended by the winning schools from each Regional Qualifier and, alongside Fairfield, included St Paul’s School, King’s College Juniors and Westminster Under School as well as Leicester Grammar and other primary schools from across England and Wales.
In the lead up to the Primary Team Chess Challenge Finals, the Fairfield players, who have all played for the county and region, have been mentored by Chess Coach, Mr Alan Agnew. Mr Agnew has been the Fairfield Chess Coach for over five years and is also the Leicestershire and Rutland lead coach, bringing a wealth of experience to the team.
With sessions focusing on logical, tactical and strategic thinking, the players have also taken part in the School’s Chess Club which takes place on a weekly basis for players of all ages and abilities. With such a high calibre of coaching and pupil talent, many other pupils have become inspired to join this club too.
Playing chess encourages pupils to remain focused and calm in high-pressure situations, allowing them to think clearly and pragmatically. Studies have shown that playing chess can improve a person’s cognition skills such as memory, concentration and problem-solving which are key skills our pupils can take with them throughout their school life and beyond. Our five finalists benefitted from this level of resilience by coming in second place, narrowly missing the title by just half a point!
We could not be prouder of all that our pupils have achieved this year and cannot wait to see what next year’s cohort will bring to the chess world!
International Chess Day: Fairfield’s success
A look back on our chess success at Fairfield!
In celebration of International Chess Day, we at Fairfield would like to highlight the success of our incredibly talented chess players. This past year, we have had pupils competing at national levels, surpassing several experienced chess masters along the way, as well as representing Fairfield in the prestigious Chess Federation’s Primary Schools Team Challenge! In June, a team of …
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