Student Wellbeing & Mental Health

Lysterfield Primary Student Wellbeing and Mental Health Team

Chess Club, Chess Coaching and a Chess Tournament! 

2025 has seen some exciting developments in Chess at LPS! After running a lunchtime Games Club in 2023, we noticed that many students were particularly interested in learning and playing chess. In response, we launched a dedicated lunchtime Chess Club in 2024. With interest continuing to grow (our Chess Club runs every Thursday at lunchtime), we invested in a series of coaching sessions with Northern Star Chess to help prepare students for their first ever chess tournament.

Last week, this preparation culminated in 19 talented students from our LysterKNIGHTS Chess Team, Years 2–6, proudly representing our school at a Primary School Chess Tournament hosted by Hampton Park Secondary College. Our students played with focus, determination, and wonderful Pegasus Spirit, learning from competitors who have been participating in the event for years.

Playing chess has many proven benefits for children and young people. These include developing the ability to see things from another person’s perspective, strengthening creativity, improving memory, enhancing planning and problem-solving skills, building social and relationship skills, and sharpening thinking skills. The tournament experience provided a fantastic opportunity for our students to grow, challenge themselves, and apply the coaching they had received. Every match brought new learning, strategy, and teamwork—clear proof of what can be achieved through experience and perseverance!

Chess is not just growing at Lysterfield Primary School—it has seen a surge in popularity worldwide, especially among young people. Chess.com, the most popular and most downloaded chess app globally, has experienced record traffic over the past five years. In June 2020, the platform had 20 million members; by December 2022, that number had reached 100 million. This rise is widely linked to the popularity of online tournaments like PogChamps and the success of the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit. It is also believed that the pandemic played a role, with many people seeking new hobbies that were mentally stimulating and could be enjoyed online. By April 2025, Chess.com had reached an incredible 200 million members.

Who knows what 2026 will bring for platforms like Chess.com—but one thing is certain: our ever-growing LysterKNIGHTS Chess Team will continue to go from strength to strength!

Kim Bedford | Social Worker / School Counsellor