NZCF Interschools

NZCF Interschools Championship (archive copy)

National Finals – please note that entries are due by 7pm Wednesday 3 September 2025.

After that a late fee of $40 per team will apply.

The FINAL deadline for any entries is 7pm Wednesday 10 September 2025.

The New Zealand Interschools Championship is organised by the New Zealand Chess Federation and regional organisers around New Zealand. The 2025 rules are available here (pdf document). The Interschool Coordinator for 2025 is Craig Hall – to contact him, please email craig.hall@nzcf.newzealandchess.co.nz.

Updates for 2025: Manawatū and Wanganui are merged into Manawatū-Whanganui and Wairarapa is merged into Wellington in line with the regional council boundaries. All regions other than Auckland are defined using regional council boundaries (Auckland will be worked on for 2026). Outside of Auckland, a school is in the region as indicated here: https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/directories/list-of-nz-schools. The entry fee cap is removed i.e. there is no longer a maximum entry fee. Where organisers run competitions at a host school, interschool fees for teams from that school are waived if entry fees are not charged (a common arrangement in place of venue hire costs). Tiebreaks are updated to replace weighted boards with direct encounter (winner of the individual match). The National Finals are clarified as being run as a Team Swiss with average NZCF rapid ratings as the seeding (unrated players will be given an estimated rating at the chief arbiter’s discretion). Individual board prizes will be shared by players on the same score.

2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018 calendars and the 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017 results can be viewed on the old NZCF website. Prior to 2017, the Interschools finals (only) results are available in the main NZCF results pages, accessible from the archives.

2025 National Interschool Finals – Christchurch 20 & 21 September

Full Event Information here: Event Info

Qualifiers:

Primary

  • North Shore – Murray Bay Primary A
  • North Shore – Kristin Primary  A
  • North Shore – Pinehurst Primary A
  • North Shore – Albany Primary School (Wildcard)
  • Otago – St Clair Primary
  • East Auckland – Pigeon Mountain Primary School
  • East Auckland – Elim Christian College
  • East Auckland – Point View School
  • South Auckland – Randwick Park
  • South Auckland – Puhinui
  • West Auckland – ACG Sunderland
  • Wellington – Amesbury School
  • Canterbury – Ilam School
  • Canterbury – Avonhead School
  • Canterbury – Tūora Fendalton School
  • Northland – Home Education Team
  • Nelson/Tasman – Hira Royal Rooks
  • Canterbury – Medbury (Wildcard)
  • Waikato – Southwell School
  • Central Auckland – Remuera Primary School
  • Central Auckland – ACG Parnell Primary School
  • Bay of Plenty – St Mary’s Rotorua
  • Hawke’s Bay – Havelock North Primary
  • Manawatu/Whanganui – Hokowhitu School
  • Taranaki – Woodleigh School
  • Taranaki – Mangorei School (Wildcard)
  • West Auckland – Scott Point School (Wildcard)

Intermediate

  • Otago – John McGlashan
  • East Auckland – Somerville Intermediate School
  • East Auckland – Bucklands Beach Intermediate School
  • East Auckland – St Kentigern College (Wildcard)
  • North Shore – Northcross
  • North Shore – Takapuna 
  • North Shore – Pinehurst
  • South Auckland – Alfriston
  • South Auckland – Rosehill
  • West Auckland – ACG Sunderland
  • West Auckland – Scott Point School
  • Wellington – HIBS
  • Wellington – Thorndon School A
  • Canterbury – Wairarapa Cobham Intermediate
  • Canterbury – Oaklands School
  • Canterbury – Avonhead School
  • Northland – Kamo Intermediate school
  • Nelson/Tasman – Nelson Intermediate
  • Marlborough – Bohally Intermediate School
  • North Shore – Albany Junior High School (Wildcard)
  • Southland – Verdon College
  • Waikato – Berkley Normal Middle School
  • Central Auckland – Remuera Intermediate
  • Bay of Plenty – Mount Maunganui Intermediate
  • Hawke’s Bay – Tamatea Intermediate
  • Manawatu/Whanganui – Palmerston North Intermediate
  • Taranaki – Highlands Intermediate
  • Taranaki – Francis Douglas Memorial College
  • Central Auckland – Avondale College (Wildcard)

Secondary

  • Otago – Logan Park HS A
  • East Auckland – MacLeans College
  • East Auckland – St Kentigern College
  • South Auckland – King’s College
  • West Auckland – ACG Sunderland
  • Wellington – Wellington College
  • Canterbury – St Andrews College
  • Canterbury – Christchurch Boys’ High School
  • Canterbury – Burnside High (Wildcard)
  • Northland – Northland Kingsmen
  • Nelson/Tasman – Nelson College
  • Taranaki – New Plymouth Boys’ School
  • Southland – James Hargest College
  • Central Auckland – Auckland Grammar
  • North Shore – Rangitoto A 
  • North Shore – Takapuna A
  • Bay of Plenty – Tauranga Boys College
  • Hawke’s Bay – Hastings Boys High School
  • Taranaki – New Plymouth Boys High School

Entries to date:

Primary: https://www.chess.net.nz/Vega/wwwInterschoolPrimaryFinals2025/html/index.php

Intermediate: https://www.chess.net.nz/Vega/wwwInterschoolIntermediateFinals2025/html/index.php

Secondary: https://www.chess.net.nz/Vega/wwwInterschoolSecondaryFinals2025/html/index.php

NZCF Interschools Events

Events are below in date order. Currently we do not have regional organisers for Gisborne, Manawatū-Whanganui or the West Coast of the South Island – if you are interested, please contact the Interschool Coordinator. To add official regional events or to update event information, regional organisers should also contact the Interschool Coordinator and NZCF Administrator.

2025 Regional Interschool Competitions (Regional events now completed)

Taranaki

Fri 22 August Taranaki Primary and Intermediate – venue TBA

Waikato

Fri 11 August Waikato Primary and Intermediate @ Berkley Normal Middle School

Sun 03 August Waikato Secondary (TBC)

Bay of Plenty

Wed 06 August Bay of Plenty Intermediate and Secondary @ Greerton Community Hall

Thurs 07 August Bay of Plenty Primary @ Greerton Community Hall

Hawkes Bay

Fri 01 August Primary, Intermediate and Secondary @ Hastings Sports Centre

Southland

Thurs 24 July Southland Intermediate and Secondary @ James Hargest College

Nelson-Tasman and Marlborough

Wed 11 June Nelson-Tasman and Marlborough Secondary @ Nelson College

Wed 18 June Nelson-Tasman and Marlborough Primary and Intermediate @ Victory Primary School

Northland

Tues 17 June Northland Primary, Intermediate and Secondary @ McKay Lounge

North Shore

Fri 13 June North Shore Intermediate @ Northcote Intermediate

Fri 27 June North Shore Primary @ Willow Park Primary

South Auckland

https://interschools.chessclub.nz/2025/south-auckland

Thurs 22 May South Auckland Intermediate @ Manurewa Intermediate 

Fri 06 June South Auckland Secondary @ Papatoetoe High School

Thurs 12 June South Auckland Primary @ Everglade School

East Auckland

https://interschools.chessclub.nz/2025/east-auckland

Thurs 29 May East Auckland Intermediate @ Somerville Intermediate

Thurs 10 June East Auckland Primary @ Point View School

Wed 04 June East Auckland Secondary @ Bucklands Beach War Memorial Hall

West Auckland

For more information about West Auckland events please visit Waitakere Chess Club website here.

June 6 High School

June 13 Intermediate

June 27 Primary

Central Auckland

Tues 5 August 2025 Primary @ Michael’s Ave Community Centre

Wed 6 August 2025 Intermediate @ Michael’s Ave Community Centre

Thurs 7 August 2025 Secondary @ Michael’s Ave Community Centre

Wellington

16 June Primary 1-6 – Newlands Primary

18 June Intermediate 7-8 – HIBS

19 June Secondary 9-13 – HIBS

Canterbury

10 June Year 1-6 (Primary)

11 June Year 7-8 (Intermediate)

12 June Year 9-13 (Secondary)

All competitions will be held at the Christchurch Multicultural Recreation and Community Centre.

Otago

17 May: Intermediate and Primary @ Trinity Catholic College, Dunedin

24 May: Secondary @ Logan Park High School, Dunedin

For more information see Otago Chess Club website.