1st Inter School Chess Tournament held at Gaili village

The Government Middle School (GMS) Gaili hosted the inaugural Inter School Chess Tournament under Ngwalwa Circle of Peren district, drawing 49 participants for a one-day Rapid Chess competition. Organized by the Senior SDEO Peren under the aegis of the Nagaland Chess Association, the event aimed to foster strategic thinking and sportsmanship among students.
Participating schools included GMS Gaili, Government High School Ngwalwa, Springfield School Ruzhaphema Block III, and Government High School Heningkunglwa. The tournament followed a Swiss league format across seven rounds, with each player allotted 15 minutes and a 5-second increment per move.
Head Teacher of GMS Gaili, Chiheiding Haikube, served as tournament director, while Senior National Arbiter, Mengise Haikam, officiated as Chief Arbiter. They were supported by ten teacher-arbiters, ensuring smooth conduct and fair play.
GMS Gaili was declared the best-performing team, earning the champion title for their collective achievement. Individual accolades were also presented, with top performers receiving cash prizes, medals and certificates. Players ranked fourth to tenth were additionally recognized with cash prizes and certificates.
Individual winners:
Champion: Akangzang Haikam, Springfield School – 6.5 points
1st Runner-up: Icicang Haikam, Springfield School – 6 points
2nd Runner-up: Ilung Haikam, Springfield School – 5.5 points (34 BH)
4th: Suiyilungbe, Springfield School – 5.5 points (23.5 BH)
5th–10th: Keyileulungbe, Maheipeung, Lunghei, Mamnum Alom, Iheibe, and Vekutolu – all from GMS Gaili, scoring 5 points each with varying Buchholz scores.
The tournament marked a significant step in promoting chess at the grassroots level, offering young talents a platform to compete and grow in the sport.