Chess Club

The Chess Club meets every Monday in Cp1 at 3.20pm and is well attended by pupils from Years 8 to 12.

The history of chess spans some 1500 years. The game originated in northern India during the Gupta Empire, where its early form in the 6th century was known as Chaturanga. This translates as ‘the four divisions’, meaning infantry, cavalry, elephantry, and chariotry, represented by the pieces that would evolve into the modern pawn, knight, bishop, and rook, respectively.

In the 15th century the moves of the pieces changed. The modern game starts with these changes. In the second half of the 19th century, modern tournament play began. Chess clocks were first used in 1883, and the first world chess championship was held in 1886.

Here are the some of the benefits of playing chess:

  • Promotes brain growth

  • It exercises both sides of the brain

  • Raises your IQ

  • Sparks your creativity

  • Increases problem-solving skills

  • Teaches planning and foresight

  • Improves reading skills

  • Optimizes memory improvement

“My favourite board game and club is definitely chess. I love the game because of the huge variation of pieces and how they all move, and how no two games are the same. My favourite chess piece is the rook because it can move horizontally or vertically all the way across the board, which works well with my main strategy when playing.”
Saskia
“Chess is a fun extra-curricular activity which is suitable for all. It doesn’t matter if you are really good at the game or just a beginner, everyone can have fun. You can play competitively or just for fun. My favourite chess piece is the rook.”
Zoe
“The reasons why I like chess are because it is a great board game which can be played with anyone and it requires a lot of strategy. It is easy to learn but hard to master which makes it challenging, especially since your opponent is often unpredictable. Chess makes you think so you’re not placing your King in danger, and as it has lots of pieces with different uses, the game is pretty fun. The main reason why I like chess is because if you learn different techniques and play with more people, it becomes more challenging and therefore, there is a higher chance you will learn to like it even more”.
Zachary