We're thrilled to announce that chess will officially join the Zespri AIMS Games in 2027, becoming the 28th sporting code at one of New Zealand's largest and most exciting intermediate-school sporting events.
For Chess Power, this is a milestone we have been working towards for some time - and a fantastic opportunity for young chess players from across New Zealand to represent their schools on the AIMS Games stage.
The inaugural AIMS Games chess competition will be held in Tauranga in September 2027, with three days of competition across team, individual and blitz chess.
Organisers are hoping for around 300-500 players in the first year, with scope for the event to grow significantly in future years.
Chess expands who gets to be an AIMS athlete, without changing what it means to be an AIMS athlete.
A new kind of AIMS athlete
Chess may look different from many traditional sports, but the competitive challenge is very real.
Players need concentration, resilience, preparation, decision-making under pressure and the ability to recover quickly from mistakes. A long tournament day can be mentally and physically exhausting, and representing your school - whether individually or as part of a team - brings the same excitement, pressure and pride that makes the AIMS Games experience so special.
Chess Power CEO Paul Macdonald, who led the proposal with the endorsement of the New Zealand Chess Federation, said:
A lot of people don't see chess as a sport because it's not physical, but it has all the elements of sport. It's challenging, competitive and incredibly demanding. Players are under pressure, they represent their schools, and they can compete both individually and as part of a team.
Chess is already one of the world's most international sports, with close to 200 countries participating in the Chess Olympiad and more than 10 million online chess games played every day on Chess.com alone.
Chess Power offers coaching in close to 100 schools across the upper North Island and runs regional tournaments involving thousands of competitors.
Three days of chess
DAY 1
Teams Championship
Schools can enter teams of four players, with one optional reserve.
Schools will be able to enter an all-girls team and/or a mixed or all-boys team.
Subject to sufficient entries, all-girls teams will compete against other girls teams in their own championship.
DAY 2
Individual Championship
Players will compete individually while proudly representing their schools.
Girls will be able to choose whether to enter the Girls Division or compete in the Mixed Division.
DAY 3
Blitz Championship
The final day will bring a fast and exciting finish to the event with blitz chess.
Blitz will be run as a mixed competition, with players competing in rapid-fire games where every second matters.
The three-day structure builds on formats already used successfully in Chess Power tournaments and New Zealand Chess Federation school competitions.
Making AIMS more inclusive
One of the reasons chess fits so naturally within the AIMS Games is its accessibility.
Players do not need to be the fastest runner, strongest swimmer or most powerful athlete to compete at a high level.
Chess rewards a different set of strengths - calculation, creativity, patience, memory, courage and decision-making.
That means students who may never previously have imagined themselves representing their school at AIMS now have that opportunity.
At the same time, many students who compete in traditional sports also love chess. The two are not opposites - they simply challenge young people in different ways.
What players can look forward to
Representing their school at the Zespri AIMS Games.
Team, individual and blitz competitions.
Girls and mixed competition pathways.
Hundreds of players from schools around New Zealand.
Three days of competitive chess in Tauranga.
A major national stage for intermediate-aged chess players.
A major step for school chess in New Zealand
The addition of chess to AIMS is also an important step in strengthening the pathway for junior chess in New Zealand.
School chess already has a strong competition structure through Chess Power regional events and the New Zealand Chess Federation Interschools programme.
Bringing chess into the AIMS Games adds another major national event where young players can compete, represent their schools and experience the atmosphere of a large multisport tournament.
For schools, it creates an exciting new reason to develop chess programmes and teams.
For players, it creates something new to aim for.
And for chess in New Zealand, it puts the game in front of a much wider sporting audience.
Looking ahead to 2027
There is still plenty of planning ahead, but the most important step has now been taken:
Chess is officially part of the Zespri AIMS Games.
Over the coming months, Chess Power will work alongside the AIMS Games team and the New Zealand Chess Federation to finalise the competition format, tournament rules, venue arrangements and event information for schools.
We will also publish dedicated event pages for the Teams Championship, Individual Championship and Blitz Championship, with full entry information as it becomes available.
For now, we simply want to celebrate what is a very exciting moment for school chess.
We can't wait to see hundreds of young chess players representing their schools in Tauranga in 2027.
Read the official Zespri AIMS Games announcement
Meet some of the young players already excited about chess joining AIMS and read the official announcement from the Zespri AIMS Games.
Chess. School pride. Three days of competition. AIMS Games 2027.
Bring it on!
Posted: Tue 08 Sep 2026