Hvaleyrarskóli wins the upper‑grades chess competition

The chess tournament for 8th–10th graders in the primary schools of Hafnarfjörður took place at Hvaleyrarskóli yesterday afternoon. Chess teams from six schools, a total of 36 chess players and 12 team leaders, took part. Ægir Magnússon, chess teacher at Hvaleyrarskóli, welcomed the competitors on behalf of the school. The tournament is a collaborative project between the Kiwanis Club Hraunborg and the youth centers of the primary schools.

Ægir thanked the members of Hraunborg for their support and especially Gunnþór Þ. Ingason, the tournament organizer on behalf of Hraunborg and the club’s main contact with the schools, as well as a devoted advocate for the chess sport. Guðni, president of Hraunborg, opened the tournament, which was held for the fourth time. Grandmaster Helgi Ólafsson was the tournament director and Auðbergur Magnússon the referee. Guðbjörg Oddný Jónasdóttir, chair of the Culture and Tourism Committee of Hafnarfjörður, made, at the request of the tournament director, the first move of the competition.

The team from Hvaleyrarskóli was the winner of the tournament, and the team from Víðistaðaskóli took second place. The team from Hraunvallaskóli came in third.

“We at Hraunborg are grateful to be the sponsors of primary‑school chess tournaments here in Hafnarfjörður by providing medals, a trophy and refreshments,” said Guðni Freyr Ingvason, president of the Kiwanis Club Hraunborg. He thanked the competitors for fair play and good sportsmanship and congratulated the winners. He thanked Helgi for firm yet gentle leadership and Auðbergur for refereeing, and presented them with books as gifts.

Indeed, the future is bright with such young chess talents in our ranks.