Chess is a game that has been around in Europe, since the 1200s, however, it is actually believed to have originated in Northwest India around 280-550 BC. It is a strategy game between 2 individuals on a 64 square board, which was played as a sport since 1873.
Today, chess has evolved through various forms. It is played around the world as a career, with large amounts of money being awarded to the winners. There are millions of chess players today; some may not be good at it but they all equally strive to do their best!
We, the students of SIST were determined to walk into our own little battlefield, without disturbing the undefeatable virus, by organizing an online chess tournament. The official inter-house chess tournament, “Knights of The Square Table”, took place on the 16th of January 2021, online on lichess.org, against the houses Avery, Griffith and Hershey. It was comprised of 5 rounds played in Swiss style, with a total of 23 players taking part. Every player did their best to try and defeat each other in the tournament while being motivated and encouraged by silent cheerers in the chat. The tournament concluded off with Griffith as the 2020/2021 leading chess champions, coveting the first, second and third places!
It was a fun, new experience that could not have been successfully done without the organizers, Iesha Siriwardena and Kavishka Dhananjaya, under the guidance of the Sports avenue vice president and director, Bhanuka Sisira Kumara and Hansa Bandara, respectively.
Mudith Elvitigala
Editorial board Committee