Last month, the TGA chess competitions came to an end for another year. Across the season there were many tough and exciting battles on the 64 squares of the chessboard, but ultimately there could only be one winner.
Earlier in the academic year, we held the Chess Ladder competition, where participants challenged opponents and swapped positions with them if they won their game. Students spent weeks battling for the top spot, with plenty of competitive matches played. It all came down to the final game between Dhruv P and Flynn C. The match was tense, with errors on both sides, but Flynn eventually emerged as the winner. A new name was engraved on the trophy, while both players could be proud of their efforts.
The main event of the chess calendar is the annual Chess Knockout Tournament. In this competition, students are split into groups and must play everyone in their group. The top two from each group then progress to the knockout stage.
This year we had two groups, and it was brilliant to see an increase in the number of girls taking part. Hopefully next year one of them will be crowned champion. Group 1 proved the most competitive, with three students fighting for just two places. Dhruv and Flynn were drawn together alongside Domantas, a new student to the school and a maths whizz. Domantas beat both Dhruv and Flynn, while Flynn managed to defeat Dhruv, eliminating him from the competition. As a result, Domantas finished top of the group and Flynn went through in second place.
Group 2 was more straightforward, with Jake winning all his games to secure first place. Owen lost only to Jake and qualified in second position.
Semi-finals:
- Flynn C v Jake B
- Owen B v Domantas V
The first semi-final was closely fought. Flynn won the opening game with the white pieces, meaning Jake needed to win the second to force a tie-break. He had a golden opportunity to do so when Flynn, seemingly in control, carelessly left his queen unprotected. However, Jake missed the chance, allowing Flynn to recover and win the match 2–0.
The second semi-final followed a similar story. Domantas won the first game, leaving Owen needing victory in the second. He played strongly and even won his opponent’s queen for a rook and a minor piece. But instead of pressing his advantage, Owen slowed his attack, eventually blundering material back. Domantas seized the initiative, turned the game around, and secured a 2–0 win.
In the third-place playoff, Jake overcame Owen to finish 3rd, taking advantage of Owen’s frustration from his semi-final defeat.
Final – Flynn C v Domantas V:
The final promised to be a thrilling contest. Flynn had won the Chess Ladder earlier in the year, but Domantas had beaten him in the group stage. Would Flynn be able to avenge his only defeat?
The first game was tight, but Flynn converted a small endgame advantage into victory. That left Domantas needing to win the second game to force a decider. Early on, he boldly captured a knight with his bishop, weakening Flynn’s pawn structure around his king. At this point, Mr Wood (our deputy head and keen chess player) commented that things looked even. Unfortunately, this proved to be the classic “commentator’s curse” – within a handful of moves, Flynn seized control of the open g-file and delivered checkmate with his queen, supported by his rook.
With that, Flynn claimed the title of TGA Chess Champion, Domantas finished as runner-up, Jake secured 3rd place, and Owen came 4th. Well done!
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