Over 100 students from international schools come together to compete in the annual chess CMAC tournament. On May 9th, the yearly chess CMAC tournament was held at Christian German School Chiang Mai (CDSC), where students of all ages from all international schools gathered together to compete. The event was held on a Saturday starting at 8:45 AM as parents, participants, and coaches arrived at CDSC for the competition. For this tournament, students of all ages competed against one another, with ages ranging from U11 to U20 being mixed, with the tournament using Swiss rules for games. Under the watchful eyes of the referees, participants played 7 games to gain individual points that were added to their total school team points.
Unlike other CMAC sports, the chess tournament focused more on individual performance rather than a team effort. As participants competed in each game, they would gain points toward their leaderboard standings depending on the results of their match, with all individual points from each player being added to their school’s points to decide which school would place the highest. Throughout the tournament, students planned and strategized their moves to defeat their opponents in the heated battle against other players from different ages and schools. For some students, in particular the younger participants, the pressure was on with their parents watching and supporting them from the sidelines outside of the gym where they played. Despite this pressure, as well as competing against students of different ages, many of the younger students described their experiences as nerve-wracking yet exciting and fun.
Many of the students claimed that in the competition, the coaches and referees were all very supportive and understanding towards all players, stating that having fun is the most important part of the tournament. Overall, the Chess CMAC tournament brought all students from different schools and ages together to test their skills against each other in a competitive and fun environment, with returning players getting to compete again and new players getting to experience competing against unfamiliar opponents. The Chess CMAC proved to be an opportunity for students to gain new experiences and have fun.
