Chess Semi-State Championship

Four of our talented Junior School students recently represented The Knox School at the Semi-State Chess Finals, held at the Brandon Park Community Centre on Wednesday, 22 October. The competition brought together 17 schools from across the region, with the top eight teams advancing to the State Championship. 

To share what the day was like, Henry Shan wrote a short reflection about the experience. 

By Henry Shan (6W) 

On the 22nd of October 2025, Mr Williams took me, Ryan, Opus and Lucas to the Semi-State Chess Finals at Brandon Park Community Centre. Liam Han was supposed to come, but he was sick, so we were down a player. 

When we got there, the announcer said there were 17 schools in the tournament. The top eight teams would go on to the State Championship. The day went like this: we had four rounds at the start, and after lunch, we played another three rounds. You get one point for winning, half a point for a stalemate (a draw), and no points for losing. 

Opus won four rounds out of seven, which means he got four points, and Lucas also got four points but in a different way. He won three rounds and drew twice, which also gave him four points. Ryan won three rounds, earning three points, and I won two rounds, earning two points. Overall, our team got 13 points. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to the next round, but it was still a really fun day! 

Although the team narrowly missed out on qualifying for the State Championship, their focus, teamwork and enthusiasm throughout the day reflected the true spirit of TKS. Congratulations to Henry, Ryan, Opus and Lucas for their effort and commitment, a great achievement and a memorable experience for all involved.