Bright future for chess at QE

QE’s players acquitted themselves well at the International Schools’ Chess Championship, especially as half the team comprised pupils from Years 7 and 8.

Playing against 14 élite chess-playing schools at the event held at Millfield School in Somerset, QE’s A team finished fourth, ahead of older opposition from several notable independent schools.

“I was pleased with the strong performance, which suggests that chess at Queen Elizabeth’s has a bright future,” said Geoff Roberts, teacher in charge of chess, “The boys did well to qualify in the top six for the Championship section of the competition and fourth is an excellent achievement in such a high-calibre event.”

QE entered two teams of 12 boys, along with two reserves. Two boys won individual prizes for leading performances on their boards: Aditya Ramdhian (Year 10) and Rohan Shah (Year 9).

The B team finished fifth in the Major competition after narrowly missing out on qualification for the Championship event. “They gained valuable tournament experience and several of these younger boys are sure to feature strongly in our top team in years to come,” added Mr Roberts.

“This year was also special as it marked the final year at the tournament for QE’s Chess Captain, Joseph Levene. Since he burst on the scene in Year 7, when he took maximum points on his board at this event, he has proved a consistently successful player for the School.”