Strong finish in 2025 chess championships

Knox maintained their unbeaten streak through the middle rounds, posting impressive victories in Round Two against Rossmoyne Senior High (3.5-0.5) and strong wins against Prince Alfred College (3-1) and Marist College (4-0) in Rounds Three and Four. Their consistency and experience play proved crucial as they navigated challenging match-ups against some of Australia's strongest school chess programs. The team's depth was particularly notable, with all six players contributing vital points throughout the tournament. Ashok (Year 11), Ethan (Year 9), Lucas (Year 8), Nikolaus (Year 12) and Savin (Year 10) complemented their top board's stellar play, ensuring Knox remained competitive in every match.

However, the tournament's pivotal moment came in Round Five when Knox faced eventual champions Anglican Church Grammar from Queensland. In a tightly contested battle between two of Australia's strongest school teams, Knox fell 1.5-2.5, suffering their only two individual game losses of the entire tournament. This narrow defeat separated the two schools, with Knox finishing as runners-up, just one match point behind the champions.

Despite the setback against Anglican Church Grammar, Knox showed tremendous resilience, bouncing back to finish the tournament strongly with solid performances against Melbourne High School (3.5-0.5) and Haileybury (3-1). Our second-place finish at the highly competitive ASTC demonstrates our students’ focus, strategic thinking and resilience and the excellent quality of the chess co-curricular program.

This year has been Knox’s most successful year in Chess on record, with students securing the CAS Championship, the NSW Junior Chess League titles at Junior and Senior level, the Terrey Shaw Shield and the Interschool Chess Challenge. This second place showing at the ASTC cements Knox Grammar's reputation as a powerhouse in Australian secondary school chess.