The Jamaica National Age-Group Chess Championships was held from March 15 and 16, Noelle Noble from Alpha Primary School (APS) emerged victorious as the under 10 national champion!
The event, which is in its 14th year of staging, is the largest youth chess tournament in Jamaica, having received over 400 entries this year alone – a testament to Jamaica’s increasing interest in the sport over the past several years. The championship determines the players who will later go on to represent Jamaica at international events. Players can compete in one of six age groups – all of which are under 18 – with male and female categories for each.
The Alpha Primary was delighted to hear that Noelle, one of its fourth grade students, received the highest award for her age group; making her the national champion. She has worked extremely hard for this well deserved win and has made her coach and teachers proud. While overjoyed, Noelle was somewhat surprised to discover her achievement and gained a sense of personal pride from being able to best one of her main rivals from another school.
Noelle’s success and the huge amount of support and participation in this year’s championship bodes well for the future of the sport in Jamaica. Through extracurricular activities, like the APS Chess Club, Alpha Primary aims to continue nurturing the talents of students in a variety of sports and creative fields going forward.
