Wednesday 18 June 2025
Our students delivered an outstanding performance at the South Auckland Interschool Chess Tournament held recently at Papatoetoe High School. Notably, One Tree Hill College – last year’s champions – did not field a team this year and King’s took full advantage, sweeping the tournament and claiming every award on offer.
Team Results
King’s entered three teams in the competition, and all performed with excellence:
- King’s A went unbeaten across all six rounds, conceding only three individual games and finishing in 1st place overall
- King’s B dropped only to King’s A and drew with King’s C, securing a strong 2nd place overall.
- King’s C, made up of a mix of senior and junior players, held their own superbly and earned a well-deserved 3rd place overall.
King’s College also claimed Best on Board in all four categories – a clean sweep of individual accolades:
- Board 1: Charlotte Ray (Year 12, Taylor House) – King’s A
- Board 2: George Zhu (Year 13, Marsden House) – King’s A
- Board 3: Marcus Yu (Year 10, Marsden House) – King’s A
- Board 4: Hamish Patel-Smith (Year 12, Averill House) – King’s B
After narrowly missing the top spot last year, this year’s complete dominance was a proud and satisfying moment for our chess programme. The depth across all three teams and the maturity with which the students competed are to be commended. By securing the top position, King’s A has now qualified for the National Interschool Finals, scheduled to take place at Christchurch Boys’ High School in September. Congratulations to all players involved – it was a day of focus, teamwork, and success.