More than 1,000 students from 80 schools are using their tactical skills this week at the HJA Brown Education Centre for the sixth annual Peel Chess Tournament.
Organizers say the tournament fosters a sense of community by bringing together students, parent volunteers, teachers and staff from across Peel.
Event organizers added extra days this year to help accommodate 50 more schools and 500 additional students, compared to last year's numbers.
After preliminary qualifying rounds, 16 division winners will compete in a series of elimination rounds to determine a winner.
"Chess is a game that develops critical thinking, spatial awareness, logic, reasoning and problem-solving skills," said tournament cofounder Said Elfarnawany, who also teaches at Queenston Drive Public School. "As students practice and play more and more, their self-confidence grows because they rely on their own creativity to solve the challenges and problems that arise in every chess game."
jslack@mississauga.net