Mayo schools chess tournament taking place in TF Royal Castlebar

Today, an ever growing chess tournament for Mayo pupils is taking place in the TF Royal Castlebar.

Over the past two months, there have been chess tournaments, Féile Fichille, around Mayo in Knockmore, Castlebar, and Aghamore.

In total, 34 primary schools have taken part, up from 21 last year. 592 pupils participated in them this year, said Brendan McHugh, Mayo area coordinator for the competitions.

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Ficheall.ie is a not-for-profit network of primary school teachers who promote cognitive and social skills through chess.

At a Ficheall tournament, pupils wear their school jerseys, and everyone gets a chance to play six games of chess against players of a similar ability.

Ficheall tournaments usually have two age brackets: Buds for 3rd and 4th class, and Masters for 5th and 6th class pupils. It is open to all pupils, boys and girls. There are often pupils with special educational needs taking part. In my own school's chess club, I have a visually impaired boy who plays using a braille chessboard. Pupils with ADHD and autism also play in a safe yet challenging environment.

Key concepts learned while playing chess are respect, accepting defeat, planning ahead, etiquette, teamwork, decision-making, patience, resilience, and practice.

"Numbers playing chess within Ficheall have soared nationwide from 200 in 2017 to more than 10,500 in 2024, and we expect this trend to continue," said McHugh

Today, there are 17 teams of 8 players representing 13 schools from around Mayo, making it the biggest Ficheall event in Mayo yet. It's taking place until 1.30pm in the TF Royal Castlebar.

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