Lone girl battles with the boys

Katie Closs (10), from Kaikorai Primary School, takes on Leon Cosson (11), from Grants Braes School, at the Otago Southland primary and intermediate individual chess championships in Dunedin on Saturday. Photo by Jane Dawber.

The 10-year-old from Kaikorai Primary School was the only female contender at this year's Otago Southland Primary and Intermediate School individual chess championships.

She said being the only girl of 36 competitors was fine, except the boys were "annoying" and did not talk to her much.

Still, she was happy with her first few rounds in the competition at the Otago Chess Club's rooms in Dunedin on Saturday and would be "really happy" to win something, but was not unrealistic as she had only been playing chess for a year after her father taught her how.

Organiser Quentin Johnson, of Dunedin, said it was unusual to not have at least two girls at the male-dominated event. The competition was "closely fought", with a spread of ages.

Results -
Open: Ben Clayton, Tahuna Normal Intermediate, Logan Xu, John McGlashan, first equal; Ethan Lau, Maori Hill, third; Sean Lau, Balmacewen, Max Lough, Maori Hill, fourth equal.

Under 11: Ethan Lau, Maori Hill, 1; Max Lough, Maori Hill, 2; Cheng Yang Li, Northeast Valley, 3. Under 9: Ethan Lau, Maori Hill, 1; Corey Symon, Arthur Street, 2; Luke Harvey, Windsor, Michael Chisholm, Grants Braes, third equal.

Best Girl: Katie Closs, Kaikorai. First Intermediate: Tahuna (Ben Clayton, Zac Mitchell, Naveen Sivasankar).

First Primary: Maori Hill (Ethan Lau, Max Lough, Ryan Lau).