Published on: 21 June 2013



Christ Church’s Preparatory School Chess Team won the IPSHA Chess Day held at St Stephen’s School, Carramar, last week. Eight boys from Years 4 to 6 represented the School with the Christ Church A Team collecting the prize.

Prep School Chess Club Co-ordinator Rachael Durston said the club had spent the past five weeks in playoffs to determine which boys would represent the School at the annual chess day. The A Team included Joshua Fry (Year 5), Djimon Jayasundera (Year 5), Callum Koh (Year 6) and Aran Wheatley (Year 5). The B team, who finished seventh, was Jamie Low (Year 4), Nicholas Tan (Year 4), Hugo Welborn (Year 5) and Christopher Manasseh (Year 4).

Mrs Durston and teacher librarian Kate Marshall accompanied the boys on the day, with Prep School Headmaster Richard Wright supporting the boys in the afternoon. Christ Church competed against teams from nine schools including Wesley, Penrhos, St Stephen’s, Aquinas, St Andrew’s, Guilford, Perth College and John Wollaston.

Mrs Durston said the boys thoroughly enjoyed the day of chess, playing seven rounds in total. “Tensions ran high as we realised both teams were near the top of the ladder towards the end of the day,” she said. “In the end, the A team won and the B team came seventh – only half a point behind Wesley and Penrhos, who both finished second.”

Mrs Durston said all the competitors displayed good sportsmanship and she was very proud of how the boys played chess and conducted themselves on the day.