ACC Chess

ACC Opens Chess Tournament

The ACC Opens Chess Tournament was held on 18 August at Simonds Catholic College. The next Tournament - for the Junior and Immediate Year Levels - is scheduled for the 5 October, 2022. 

ACC Opens Tournament players - Mentone

Year 9

Thomas Liang and Tomas Polintan

Year 10

Rory Jenkins, Nathan Astill, Thomas Bretherton and Rory Tuke

Year 11

Herschel FitzRoy and Angus Larkins

Year 12

William Both and Nicholas Michaelidis 

Student Reflections

"On the 18 August the ACC Opens Chess team went to Simmonds College to compete. We competed in Division 1. I really enjoyed that everyone at the event share the same passion for chess as I do. At the end of the 7 rounds St Bede’s placed a respectable 4th place with an unstoppable Mazenod College taking 1st. Our best players were Herschel FitzRoy (5/7 points) and Tomas Polintan (5.5/7 points).Chess is unlike many other ACC sports. While most other sports require physical athleticism, Chess is an intellectual problem-solving game. The fast-paced action and decision-making of other sports such as required in Basketball for example is completely opposite from the skills utilised in Chess. I would only wish that Chess could be shared to all people at the College and especially to those who may not be as skilled in your typical sports so they could try it. Chess isn’t just a “nerd’s game” and we should work to erase this stigma."

"The day was very fun and a new experience for me."

“While St Bede’s did not win the ACC Opens Chess tournament, it was a fun competition with great games all around. What I liked most about the day was seeing strong and weak players alike enjoying the competitions. Even through Mazenod was the school that ended up on top, St Bede’s did well, placing fourth in Division 1 against many strong schools. In particular, Thomas Liang and Herschel FitzRoy performed nicely. What St Bede’s needed to develop it’s chess ability was more experience, and after years of online tournaments, the ACC Opens delivered."

“It’s always fun to try and navigate your way through some complex positions. Very good for discovering your weaknesses and improving your cognitive processes in the game. We had two St Bede’s players score in the Top 10 which is nice.”

Congratulations to all of our Chess players!

Br Lewis Harwood

Religious Education Teacher 

Community Service Coordinator (Years 7 & 8)