A.B. Paterson College offers both a Junior and Senior Chess Club weekly program. Junior Chess Club welcomes students from Years 1-6 to join in the fun and competition of our weekly games with one-hour sessions being conducted each Friday afternoon. Senior Chess Club welcomes students from Years 7-12 to also participate in weekly games and hourly sessions being conducted each Monday afternoon.

Registration for both clubs is invited through our College’s Activities Department, activities@abpat.qld.edu.au and sessions are held in The Winton Centre. Parents of children in Years 1-6 are asked to collect their child at the conclusion of each weekly session promptly at 4:30pm. Any child not collected after this time is escorted to Outside School Hours Care and fees will be applied.

Chess is a game of strategy that benefits academic performance. Chess Master, Jerry Meyers, believes that schools which offer chess make kids 'smarter'. He states this is done by focusing (observing carefully and concentrating), visualising (imagining a sequence of actions before it happens), thinking ahead, weighing options, analysing concretely (evaluating results of specific actions and sequences), thinking abstractly (step back from details periodically and consider the bigger picture), planning and juggling multiple considerations simultaneously.

Skilled chess tutors from Gardiner Chess support students during open play and strategy instruction. Tutors maintain a weekly tournament spreadsheet and add one-off competition afternoons. Students receive place-getting certificates and encouragement awards from their tutors. All students testify that, whilst they enjoy the strategy sessions, the ultimate attraction is the thrill of the competition.

Mr Trent Davis is the Chess Club Coordinator for both the Junior and Senior School. Mr Davis oversees the operational aspects of this co-curricular activity and is ably supported by College staff. Please do not hesitate to contact Mr Davis, tdavis@abpat.qld.edu.au with any questions or chess related queries.