Purvis Primary Hosts Chess Tournament

Purvis Primary hosted an inter-school chess tournament on June 18, where students from five schools competed.

A spokesperson said, “On Wednesday, June 18th, Purvis Primary School proudly hosted an inter-school chess tournament for students in years 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 [including M2 and M3]. Participating schools included Somerset Primary, Whitney Institute, Francis Patton Primary School, Warwick Academy, and Purvis Primary School.

“Each school sent a representative from each year group to compete against the other schools in three rounds, with each round allowing a maximum time limit of 40 minutes. After an intense afternoon of matches, winners were determined in each category. The players demonstrated exceptional sportsmanship, determination, and courage as they represented their schools, showcasing not only their skills on the chessboard but also their respect for one another throughout the competition.

“The winners for each year group were as follows:

Year 4:

• Winner: Dustin Bernier [Warwick Academy]

• Honourable Mentions: Julianna McGlashin [Francis Patton], Nathaniel Maina [Purvis Primary], Sterling Wolf-Duggan [Somerset Primary], Nesta Woods [Somerset Primary]

Year 5:

• Winner: Sujith Ragunathan [Warwick Academy]

• Honourable Mentions: Zarina Simmons [Francis Patton], Liam Murphy [Purvis Primary], Akilah Thompson-Furbert [Somerset Primary], Rylan Bean [Somerset Primary]

Year 6:

• Winner: Nicolas DiMaggio [Somerset Primary]

• Honourable Mentions: Khaleef Daley [Francis Patton], Lydia Pearman [Purvis Primary], Adiah Jennings [Somerset Primary]

Year 7 / M2:

• Winner: Dylan Flanagan [Warwick Academy]

• Honourable Mentions: Justin Harvey [Francis Patton], Andre Coley [Purvis Primary], Chance Talbot [Whitney Institute]

Year 8 / M3:

• Winner: Eabha O’Hanlon [Warwick Academy]

• Honourable Mentions: W’niy Chistopher [Whitney Institute], Zhi Trott [Whitney Institute], Trayonah Maina [Purvis Primary]

“This tournament represents a significant advancement in the ongoing efforts to promote chess in Bermuda’s schools, particularly as we look forward to the 2025/26 academic year. Many of the participating children learned how to play chess only in the last few months, following the introduction of Chess in Education at the Preparation for Teachers seminar held on the island in March. This seminar had been organized by the Bermuda Chess Association [BCA] in collaboration with FIDE, the world governing body of chess, along with Bermuda’s Department of Education.

“Since the seminar, numerous schools have incorporated chess into their classrooms as an educational and therapeutic tool. Additionally, Dalton E. Tucker hosted a Chess Festival in May, and many female teachers are engaging in FIDE’s Queen’s Gambit Challenge to prepare for the upcoming Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan in 2026. A Bermuda Chess Association [BCA] spokesperson said, “We are thrilled to see school teams competing regularly and students enjoying the game of chess as a result of these fantastic recent initiatives.

“The BCA also acknowledged, “the remarkable progress of chess on the island is largely due to the commitment shown by participating schools and educators. Special thanks must go to teachers Don Burgess from Francis Patton and Lutgarda Lambe from Purvis Primary School for taking the initiative to arrange this inter-schools tournament. The BCA would also like to express our gratitude to educators Sophia Burch from Somerset Primary, Anthony Rocker from Whitney Institute, and Jennifer Goodwin from Warwick Academy, who helped transport students to the tournament and provided support throughout the day.

“Plans are already in motion for the next inter-schools tournament, which is scheduled to take place in the upcoming school term, toward the end of 2025.”