Following on from a successful Term 1 in Barbreck Chess Club our Junior School girls are continuing to learn and build their chess skills in Term 2.  

In Term 2, we have seen more girls wanting to join the Chess Club. This has been encouraging, and we hope the interest continues. The sessions run for 40 minutes during lunch on Mondays and allow the girls to play with friends and girls from other Year levels in a relaxed, fun, and challenging environment.  

Here are some of the comments from our current Chess enthusiasts about their experience playing chess in Barbreck:  

“It is really fun to play against other students, and you learn many new tricks. I have also made new friends with students from different Year levels.” Kitty Huan 

“Chess gives you opportunities to learn tactics from other players. It is also fun to play chess in different ways, such as Blitz Chess.” Aimee Davenport. 

“I enjoy chess at lunchtime with my friends. It helps me to think about where to move the pieces. Chess also helps me with concentration. I can only think about the game, nothing else.” Chloe Wong 

Our Term 1 Blue Ribbon article explored the benefits of incorporating chess into a school’s curriculum. The benefits include:  

1. Chess Helps You Focus – The intense focus required during a chess game is useful in everyday life when confronted with school assignments, daily tasks, and deadlines. 
2. Chess Helps to Develop Creativity – A shy and passive person might play more reservedly, while an outgoing and social person might be a bold attacker. You can show your creativity in the type of moves, plans, and tactics you produce on the board. 
3. Chess Builds Confidence – Building new skills and learning from mistakes, and the consequences of your moves help students identify weaknesses and improve and develop a sense of confidence. 
4. Chess Helps Develop Problem-Solving Skills – In every chess game you face challenges and problems that you must solve to play your best game. Chess can help you think ahead, not rush your decisions, and weigh the pluses and minuses of your choices. This correlates to challenges we face in everyday life, and just as in chess, we try to make the best choices to develop positive outcomes for our lives. 
5. Chess Exercises Both Sides of the Brain – When playing chess your brain will be challenged to exercise logic, develop pattern recognition, make decisions visually and analytically, and test your memory. People of any age can enjoy chess—so these brain exercises can be part of the health of your brain for your entire life! An active brain is a healthy brain! 
6. Chess Helps You Learn How to Be Calm Under Pressure – An intense game of chess – where you have given everything, your time is running low, and you must make critical decisions to bring the point home, teaches us to remain calm under pressure. In chess you must be intensely focused while at the same time staying calm so that your brain can work to its maximum. We are all faced with deadlines, presentations, interviews, and tests throughout our life. Just as in a chess game, we must remain confident and calm to perform at our best. 

Barbreck Chess Club is run by expert coach, Mr Ross Neumann, and supported by classroom teachers, Mr Tainsh and Mrs Thompson. The girls are provided with the opportunity to hone their skills by playing with students of similar skill levels, including learning as a beginner. 

If your daughter wants to try Chess this term, we encourage her to turn up to our Monday sessions in the Barbreck STEM Lab (details below). 

Barbreck Chess Club

Location: STEM Lab on level 1 

Cost: Free 

Days: Mondays during lunch from 1.20pm to 1.50pm (bring your lunch) 

While we encourage girls to commit to attending for the term, it remains open for girls to come and go as they please.  

For further information about the program, please contact: 

Mr Tainsh ttainsh@stcatherines.net.au or  

Mrs Thompson lthompson@stcatherines.net.au