Last Saturday, May 9th, CDSC once again hosted the CMAC chess tournament in the school gym. More than 100 ambitious players from 11 international schools took part and competed against each other in seven rounds.

A large team of janitors, Thai staff, students, teachers, volunteers, parents, and school leadership prepared this day with great care. Food and refreshments were well provided, and referees were ready to welcome the students along with their coaches and accompanying parents.

The chief arbiter was our student Jeremias, who kept a cool head even in difficult situations and supported the other referees. The tournament was directed by our volunteers Jael and Alexa, who played a key role in ensuring a smooth and well-organized event.

After the opening speech by our principal, Mr. Häger, Jael explained the tournament rules to the nearly 150 guests present, and the first round started on time. At the same moment, the rain stopped, and the focused silence required for chess settled in.

“3, 2, 1, go!” could be heard before each round as Mr. Hester signaled the start over the loudspeakers. Then everything became quiet, and hands moved the chess pieces across the boards at impressive speed while clocks were handled with confidence. Some games ended within minutes, and the first winners quickly emerged.

Outside the hall, the student council, the 10th grade, and dedicated parents provided excellent food and drinks. Between rounds, players had short breaks to recharge, enjoy the offerings, and prepare for the next pairings. Especially the younger players could hardly wait to rush back into the hall and find their assigned boards.

After the fourth round, there was a longer traditional break during which students enjoyed time on the school campus. This was followed by the final three rounds. The competition remained exciting until the very end.

In the three age categories U11, U15, and U20, the top three players in each group were awarded medals. In addition, a trophy was presented to the most successful school, based on the best four individual results from each school. The fact that a U15 player achieved the best overall results once again showed that in chess, age is not the decisive factor—talent, strategy, and practice are what truly matter.

The CDSC players this year were:

U11:
Zoyo Ziyou
Lucas Wang
Tommy Bellm
Ayden Hester
Luis Frank
Tila Trenk-Hinterberger
Jacob Trenk-Hinterberger
Aodhan Sheehy

U15:
Tim Ma (Top 10 overall – 8th place, and 5th place in his age group)
Mashunmi Raman

U20:
Ron Mesken (4th place in his age group)

Many positive comments from coaches of other schools confirmed the smooth organization and the great effort of everyone involved. CDSC is fortunate to have so many dedicated people who make this tournament possible every year.

Thank you very much for your support!
We are already looking forward to the next school year.

Patrick Kim-Türk