20 people took part in the University of Fiji and Fiji Chess Federation’s regular Chess Tournament at the University’s Saweni Campus on Saturday.
UniFiji Chess Club Co-Chair Dr Ricardo Corpuz says such chess tournaments, partnered with the Federation are significant for a variety of reasons, not just the game of chess itself but its value for a larger cultural and educational purpose.
He says tournaments encourage healthy competition by challenging participants to strive for excellence and constantly enhance their level of performance.
Dr. Corpuz says chess competitions also promote good sportsmanship.
He says tournaments promote cognitive abilities such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and strategic planning by highlighting chess as an educational tool.
The Co-Chair says the drama of close matches, surprise plays, and come-from-behind victory adds to the overall appeal.
University Vice Chancellor, Professor Shaista Shameem says the University had been hosting the chess tournaments in partnership with the Federation for several years now as they saw the benefits of chess for mental development and people from all professions and school children are able to gather for a serious game.
The Vice Chancellor says the University was very grateful to the Fiji Chess Federation for donating 10 Chess sets to the University of Fiji.
She adds this will encourage the University to host monthly chess competitions from next year so that staff and students can sharpen their game and enter both local and international tournaments.
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