BAIMBRIDGE College played host to the Western Victoria Open Schools Chess Championship on Monday.

Students from Years 6 - 12 from seven local schools came together in the gymnasium for the competition, including Cavendish Primary, Dunkeld Consolidated, and George Street Primary Schools, with Monivae and Baimbridge Colleges from Hamilton and Bayview (from Portland) and Emanuel (Warrnambool).

Chess Australia director and chess master, Leonid Sandler, was adjudicator for the day and said it was great to see the enthusiasm and participation of local school students so interested in the sport.

“It’s also good to see a lot of girls participating - there are several girls competing today,” he said.

“These students display a lot of interest in the game.

“It would be good to establish a local chess club in Hamilton.”

Emmanuel College from Warrnambool scooped the pool by day’s end winning 32 out of 35 matches. Second was Monivae College winning 20.5 games for the day, followed very closely by Baimbridge College who missed out on second place by half a point winning 20 for the day.

In fourth place was Bayview College with 19, followed by the primary schools who were up against it competing with secondary school students, with George Street Primary School in fifth spot, then Dunkeld Consolidated, followed by Cavendish Primary School.