Bright young minds duel at NZ schools chess championships

The New Zealand Interschool Chess Finals were held in Mount Maunganui at the weekend and Oliver Dai, 14, says there is a deep beauty to the game. Photo / Andrew Warner

The game of chess can often be seen as a battle of strategy and power but for Oliver Dai, it is a game of beauty.

The 14-year-old was among 250 school students competing in this year's New Zealand Interschool Chess Finals at Mount Maunganui College over the weekend. Each team had already won their regional finals and these finals determined the nation's grand champions.

Oliver was one of the team members from Macleans College in Auckland, the highest-ranked team involved.

"It's really very interesting," Oliver said.

"There are so many calculations and it's very elegant, particularly with the checkmates and sacrifices. It is really beautiful."

Oliver has been playing since he was 7 or 8 years old and acquired a chess rating of 1800 for standard games, or 1650 for rapid games. Typically, beginners start with a rating of about 400 to 800, while grandmasters have ratings of 2500.

"There's no such thing as an easy game in chess. But it's fun. Especially when you make a calculation and feel the satisfaction from that," he said.

Oliver plays every week and said he's pretty sure it was his parents who got him into it. But he wouldn't play against them now "because they are not as good".

Chief arbiter and organiser Bob Smith said it was exciting seeing the passion and fervour of students taking part.

"It's great. Chess involves imagination, logic, focus and you've also got to have strength of character because you have to come back from [losing]," he said.

"It's a measure of how you play - when you lose. Do you come back to start again or do you sit in a cry in a corner?"

In 2001 Smith, president of the New Zealand Chess Federation at the time, set up the inaugural interschool championships, which have since run every year at different locations around New Zealand. The last time they were in Mount Maunganui was five years ago.

Smith, who lives in Mount Maunganui, was pleased to have the event return.

"It is just so fantastic for the mind."

Smith has represented New Zealand in chess 13 times and has twice been crowned New Zealand champion.