Message from the Head of Secondary

Checkmate

I was reminded this week of what a great word ‘checkmate’ is.  It’s so terribly final, isn’t it?  The word ‘checkmate’ represents the absolute end of whatever is going on. There are no more moves, you are done……But it’s also a much more pleasant word than ‘loser’ and certainly leaves the ‘loser’ feeling a little less defeated.  To be defeated might suggest a lack of power.  To find oneself in checkmate is nothing to do with power, it is to do with wits….

The word came to mind because it was so wonderful to see our very own Chess team once again storm to victory over local rivals last week.  Though the contest took place online, it was still a fierce competition, and we are hopeful that our Chess grandmasters will be able to be toe-to-toe literally, as well as figuratively, very soon.  Our school has a long and proud tradition of playing – and winning - at Chess.  I myself cannot recall a BISAD Chess team ever losing a game but only those with a very long memory will recall one of the schools most famous encounters - a match with Grandmaster Gary Kasparov….

It was March 2013 when the school welcomed the former undisputed Chess World Champion Kasparov and our student Khaled Al Ameri had the chance to play a game against him, as did Mr Adam Stewart, a member of staff who had been a Glasgow champion himself back in his younger days.  Kasparov was interviewed by The National newspaper during his visit to our school and he commented that:

“The biggest challenge of modern education is not to get students to memorise data and all the diagrams but to teach them to swim in the ocean of information – how to navigate. And chess is a perfect way to help them learn.”

Since those days of world-famous visitors, students in our school have always played Chess, even the Covid pandemic didn’t stop it and it is always a pleasure to stroll down the Maths corridor at break and lunchtimes to see the very many students challenging each other and learning new chessboard-tricks.  Chess is such a fantastic game for encouraging students to take a long-term view of events, to consider how others might act or react to decisions and to plan two, three, four – and many more - moves in advance.  Chess teaches us patience and the art of setting a good trap!   Long may BIS Abu Dhabi reign supreme in this city as the school that cries ‘CHECKMATE’!