Rodney student makes his move

Rodney College Year 9 student Nate Moolman will compete in the individual section of the Chess Power Onsite Champions Trophy at Southwell School in Hamilton on Sunday, October 25.

It will be Nate’s third appearance at the national tournament, after representing Mangawhai Beach School for the past two years, finishing second in the individual category last year and third two years ago.

However, this will be his first time representing Rodney College, competing against some of the top school-aged chess players from across the country.

Nate joined the Mangawhai Chess Club in 2022, aged nine, after moving to New Zealand from South Africa.

He was first introduced to chess by his father, who taught him the basics of the game, but it was after arriving in

New Zealand that Nate started playing more regularly and developing his skills.

“What I enjoy most about playing is winning, although I also love competing in different tournaments and making new friends,” Nate said.

Nate qualified for the Champions Trophy after tying first at the Term 2 Northland Regionals in Whangārei in June.

He will compete in the senior division, which is expected to feature between 300 and 400 players.

“I go to the chess club weekly, but most of my preparation at the moment is online. This helps me because I get to play against a variety of opponents,” Nate said. “Playing against adults is another way that helps me develop my skills and strategies.”

Nate’s goal is to beat his current best result at a national tournament, which is 4.5 points out of a possible nine.

While he is focused on achieving the best result, he says it is still too early to think about playing chess professionally.

For now, he is happy to enjoy the game as a hobby while doing his best to represent Rodney College at the national tournament.