Whakatāne High School has long enjoyed a reputation for producing strong chess teams, although like many schools it must continually rebuild as experienced players graduate and new talent emerges.

Helping foster that next generation is Power Chess, an organisation dedicated to promoting chess participation and using the game as a tool to develop young minds.

Fresh from the Rotorua Power Chess tournament, the Whakatāne team has returned with a renewed determination to turn lessons learned into future strengths.

The school's chess club now boasts around 40 members and continues to grow.

At the tournament, team co-captain Tukotahi Rapuna was particularly impressed by the performances of some of the club’s newest players.

“It was our two newest members that did the best. Toto Whetu Taylor and Poutu Apiata both won five of their seven games, so that was a good result,” said Tukotahi.

He believes the increasing popularity of chess at school has been helped by restrictions on cellphone use, prompting students to seek out other activities during break times.

“Students have looked for other more productive pursuits while at school,” he said.

Fellow team member Jonah Te Whau, one of the few players with previous tournament experience, said the Rotorua event had been an enjoyable experience.

“I started playing when I was five years old and found it taught me how to focus. The competition was spread over two days and was a lot of fun,” said Jonah.

“I have competed at a national event in Auckland, but with our team being more social than serious competitive players, we didn’t feel there was a lot of pressure. We were still happy with some of the individual performances though.”

The tournament provided valuable experience for the younger players and highlighted the depth developing within the club.

With membership continuing to grow and enthusiasm high, it is hoped more students will be encouraged to explore the competitive side of chess and continue Whakatāne High School's tradition of strong performances on the board.