Chess players from around the state were involved in the Gunnedah Australia Day festivities with a competition at the Smithurst Theatre on Saturday.
Edd Heap is a familiar name in Gunnedah’s chess world and event organiser of the 36 year old tournament.
The six round competition had started with 30 people playing in the open, premier and school sections.
Most entrants were from Gunnedah but the competition also caught the attention of people in Sydney, Armidale and Dubbo.
The annual game had contestants vying for the Cartmel Cup and in the end it was Gunnedah who kept it.
This year’s youngest player was eight-year-old Jake Cygan who held his own throughout the competition and received an encouragement award.
Winners were Blake Lynch (Gunnedah), topping the open divison with 4.5 points, Khaiam Ali (Armidale) winning the premier division with 4.5 points and Sarayu Prakashbabu (Dubbo) topping the school division with 4.0 points.
Check out more photos from Gunnedah’s Australia Day 2024 here: Gunnedah celebrates Australia Day 2024 | Gallery – Gunnedah Times
