Six talented Mary Elton pupils enjoyed a day of chess instruction and competition at the London Chess Classic, held at Emirates Stadium. The visit was made possible thanks to Chess in Schools and Communities.
Miss Brown runs Mary Elton’s weekly self-funding chess club: “Our club is run by experienced Chess in Schools tutors. The club aims to build problem-solving skills, confidence, concentration, and a love of the game. It was especially meaningful when Chess in Schools selected several of our club members to compete in the event.”
Throughout the event, pupils took part in a series of high-quality activities led by professional chess tutors and grandmasters. The children received expert coaching, listened to engaging talks on strategy and resilience in the game, explored the stadium, and participated in a two-against-one challenge match with a grandmaster, in which two Mary Elton pupils won a book prize.
In the afternoon, the pupils competed in a tournament, and Miss Brown was very pleased with their performance: “All six children represented Mary Elton with confidence and maturity. Every child performed brilliantly, with one earning a medal for his points total. Their enthusiasm, sportsmanship and commitment to improving their chess skills were evident throughout the day. They definitely did Mary Elton proud!
“Experiences like the London Chess Classic show how powerful enrichment can be in helping children develop both academically and personally.
“We are very grateful to Chess in Schools and Communities for providing this opportunity and to the parents who accompanied their children and enabled them to take part.”
