ESHS dominates Inter-Secondary Chess Tournament

Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) emerged victorious in both the junior and senior divisions of the Inter-Secondary Division Chess Tournament, hosted by the Ministry of Education.

The event took place at the Multi-Sport Complex from Thursday, December 12 to Friday, December 13, with seven schools participating. This year’s competition was held for the second time as part of the Ministry’s S.T.E.A.M. framework.

In the senior secondary division, ESHS students secured the top two positions. Shamoy Joseph placed first, while Jordan Hinds took second. Rayante Edwards from St. George’s Secondary School claimed third place.

The junior division saw another strong performance by ESHS, with Dimitri Fungfook claiming first place, remaining undefeated throughout the tournament. Royson Adams of ESHS placed second, while Shane-Ann Chin from the Bregado Flax Educational Centre Secondary School (BFEC) secured third.

Minister for Education, Sharie de Castro, expressed her appreciation for the event, which she described as a success. She also highlighted the ministry’s partnership with UniteBVI, who donated 238 chess kits for the event.

“I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the partnership of the Ministry of Education with Unite BVI. We went to Unite BVI and presented them with this amazing plan to reimagine education and move Virgin Islands education full STEAM ahead, and they have supported and partnered with us tremendously,” de Castro stated.

Tournament judge Simon Potter urged the community to continue supporting the advancement of chess in the Territory.

“It really makes my heart feel good to see that chess is going somewhere. We are going to ask that each one tell one, and let’s push chess throughout the BVI and in the schools. Chess is a great game for your mind,” Potter said.

Other schools participating in the tournament included Bregado Flax Educational Centre, Claudia Creque Educational Centre, Ciboney Centre for Excellence, Cedar International School, and the Virgin Islands School of Technical Studies— the same schools that participated in the inaugural chess tournament.

In addition to the secondary division, a primary division was also held, with students from Enis Adams, Imagination Academy, and the BVI Chess Federation competing. In this division, John Jamuel of the BVI Chess Federation placed first, Temoi Scatliffe took second, and Zivon Abraham finished in third.