Students from four Bay of Plenty schools will not have far to travel to take on the best young chess masters from around the country next weekend.

About 240 of New Zealand's best young players will be descending on Mt Maunganui College to contest the finals of the NZ Interschool Chess Championships, on September 29 and 30.

All have qualified from regional events throughout the country during the year.

They will be competing over two days to be the top Secondary, Intermediate and Primary schools in New Zealand, says chief organiser Bob Smith.

'The finals at Mt Maunganui College are the culmination of the New Zealand Chess Federation's interschool championships, which have been running for nearly 20 years.

'The students play for their school against other schools in teams of four.

'Bay of Plenty is represented in the secondary competition by Bethlehem College, in the intermediate competition by Tauranga Intermediate and in the primary competition by Lynmore Primary from Rotorua and Mt Maunganui Primary.”

The Bay's representative schools earned their passage to the national tournament at last month's regional interschool tournament organised by the Mt Maunganui RSA Chess Club.

Participating schools include two from Otago, two from Southland, three from Canterbury and seven from Wellington.

The tournament is being run by NZ Chess Federation Life Members Bob and Viv Smith, with the help of the Mount Chess Club and the support of the Mt Maunganui RSA.

The championships will be officially opened at 10am on Saturday by Tauranga Deputy Mayor Kelvin Clout, and they continue until around 5pm on Saturday, resuming at 10 on Sunday.

The prize-giving and presentation of medals will be at 12.30pm on Sunday.