Alex, Callum, Connor, Jesse and Bailey are stellar young chess players of the national stage.
The Kurunjang Secondary College students came ninth at the Chess Kids state tournament earlier this month, and are headed to the national finals this week.
The school’s chess club has been running for the past four years, and it’s the first time the team has qualified to compete in the national tournament.
Secondary school nurse and chess club leader Nathanael Poljak says the students are very excited about where their talents are heading.
“It’s all about having a sense of belonging and inclusion for the kids,” Mr Poljak says.
“The school has sports clubs, but it’s important that students who aren’t into sports can hang out at lunchtime, do something they’re interested in and meet new friends.”
He says the secret to being a good chess player is staying focused, paying attention and being patient.
