Junior Chess

Latest Junior News

WCM title for Shambavi Hariharan

Feb 2025. Young Derbyshire player Shambavi broke the 2000 rating ceiling to gain the FIDÉ Woman Candidate Master Title. She is a member of Derby Chess club and has played competitive chess since the age of eight.

English Schools Under-9 Championship Nottingham Zonal

9 Feb 2025. Hallfield (Edgebaston, Birmingham) School A team won with 21 points and their B team was second on 14 points ahead of Nottingham HS teams A and B and Fernwood A and B. See full results.

West Shropshire Zonal winners in Shropshire Primary Schools Championship

6 Feb 2025. St George’s A were first with 10 match points followed by St Mary’s A on 8 points. Ten teams from 4 schools competed. See full results.

Warwick Junior Open

1 Feb 2025. Nearly 150 competitors played in the eight five-round tournaments inthis event. The under-18 A tournament was won by Adithya Vaidyanathan (KE Camp Hill Sch, Birmingham) with 4½ points The B tounament was won by Sara Khan Kundan (Lancs) with 5 points, and the C tournament by Omar Khan (KE Camp Hill Sch, Birmingham) also with 5 points. There were three under-11 tournaments. The premier A prize was shared by Krish Gandhi, Babu Abhinandan (St Augustine, Warks) and Handuo Cao (Hallfield Sch, Birmingham) who all score 3½ points. The B tournament was won by Nandan Chintapalli; the C tournament by Arjun Patel (Bloxwich Jun Chess Acad, Staffs) with 5 points, and the D tournament by Divith Puppala (Finham Primary, Coventry, Warks) on 4½ points. The under-9 tournament was won by Aatman A Ragunandan (Oasis Acad) with 5 points. The event was organised by Alex Holowczak and played at Warwick Schools Foundation, Warwick. See full results.

K Edward VI High School for Girls Edgbaston play in National Semi-final

26 Jan 2025. Although 45 teams competed in the ECF National Schools Semi-final at St Catherine's School Guildford, only one was from the MCCU area. The girls from Edgbaston finished 11th with 9½ match points. King Edward’s highest scoring player was Diah Patel who won 4 of her 5 games. See full results.

Telford Zonal winners in Shropshire Primary Schools Championship

29 Jan 2025. Newport Junior A team was first with 9 match points followed by Broseley C with 7. Eight teams from three schools took part at Broseley CE Primary School, Telford.

Derbyshire Junior County Knights

14 Feb 2025. Three players tied on 4 points: Zayne Patel (Leics), Kirill Prokojevs (Derbys) and Aadharshini Amduhavel (Leics) with Elizabeth De Bono (Notts) top scoring girl player on 3 points. Theevent was organised by Alan Kennedy (Oxon) and arbiter was John Shaw (Derbys).

Birmingham & District Junior Chess League Blitz

24 Jan 2025. In the Open tournament, King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys, Birmingham team dropped one game point only over six rounds to take first place on 12 match points. King Edward VI Five Ways, Birmingham were second on 10 match points. In the under-13 tournament, King Edward’s School A were in first place on 101 game points ahead of King Edward’s School Aston on 87 game points. Eighteen teams from nine schools competed in the Open tournament and eighteen teams from seven schools at played in the under-13 tournament at Bishop Vesey School, Sutton Coldfield, Warks. See full results.

South Shropshire Zonal winners in Shropshire Primary Schools Championship

16 Jan 2025. The St Laurence Kings team were first with 9 match points.

East Midlands GP results

14 Dec 2024. Benjamin Humphries (Notts) won the under-14 competition with 5 points from five games and Nadia Prokofjeva (Derbys) was second on 3 points. Samuktha Vijayendra (Notts) won the under-12 6 points and Rohan Babu (Notts) won the under-11 with 6 points. Three players tied with 4½ points in the under-10 tournament and Alikhan Kudaibergen (Notts) had the best tie-break. Adam Amirthanathan (Notts) won the under-9 tournament winning all his games as did Scarlett Sanderson (Cheshire & N Wales) who won the under-8 tournament. This rapidplay event attaracted over 50 players and was held at Nottingham High School organised by Ed Jones helped by Hambel Willow and John Swain as arbiters.

Staffordshire Junior Chess Championships

1 Dec 2024. Nearly a hundred players competed at Stafford Grammar School in this event organised by Jonathen Blackburn, NA Chris Lewis, Dan Turner and Chris Hankey. Sixteen-year-old Cristian-Gabriel Dragan (Staffs) was under-18 champion; Momin Khan under-16 champion; The under-14 champion was Oskar Jarzynski (Ruskin HS, Staffs) and Waylon Chan (NewportThe format was 15+10 rapidplay. See full results.

Warwickshire juniors play Oxfordshire online

28 Nov 2024. The counties played a two-round 24 board rapidplay match using lichess.org. Oxfordshire won overall with 27 points compred with Warwickshire’s 21. Oxfordshire won the first round convincingly, but Warwickshire narrowly won the second round. The event was organised by Alex Holowczak (Warks). See full results.

North Shropshire Zonal winners in Shropshire Primary Schools Championship

28 Nov 2024. Broseley A were first with 10 match points winning all their matches. Second placed was St Mary’s A. Eight teams from three schools competed at St Mary's CE Primary School, Shawbury, Shrops.

Birmingham & District Junior League results

22 Nov 2024. King Edward’s Sch A ran out winners on 8 points in a field of 14 teams from 9 schools. Bishop Vesey A and Hallfield were runners-up on 7 points In the under-13 ECF Schools qualifier team tournament, KE Camp Hill won with 10 points and Queen Mary’s GS Walsall were second on 8 points in a field of 18 teams from 11 schools. This five round team event was directed by Doreen Anderton (Staffs) with Alex Holowczak (Warks) and Matthew Carr (Staffs) as arbiters. See full results.

Birmingham Junior Open results

19 Oct 2024. Adithya Vaidanathan (KE Camp Hill Boys Sch, Birmingham) was first in the under-18 group A tournament with a perfect 5 points from five rounds. Marijka Mykhenko (KE Five Ways Sc, Birminghsm) won Group B with a 4½ score and there was a four-way tie in Group C: John Whyle (Q3 Acad, Oldbury, Worcs), Rohab Pinjari (KE camp Hill Sch Birmingham), Siyuan Li (KE Camp Hill Sch Birmingham) and Peter Li (Elite Chess) all of whom scored 4 points. There were four groups in the under-11 tournaments and winners were: Group A, Abhinandan Babu (4 points, St Augustine); Aarav Parekh (5 points, Hallfield Sch, Birmingham); Group C was a four-way tie between Anthony Tye (Hallfield Sch, Birmingham), Pavan Sunnar (Hallfield Sch, Birmingham), Matthew Cole (Dixie GS, Wellsborough, Leics) and Arthur McCumiskey (Harborne Primary, Birminham) on 4 points; and Group D was won by Adrian Tai (St Peter's CoE) with 4½ points. Group B The under-9 tournament was won by Aariyan Mandair with 5 points.

Midlanders at UK Chess Challenge Terafinals

13 Oct 2024. CM Jude Shearsby (Kenilworth, Warks) was highest placed Midlander in the under-14 competition and placed fourth with 8 points from 12 games. WFM Elis Dicen (Coventry Chess Acad, Warks) was highest placed under-14 girl player and placed 5-6th on 7 points. Billy Fellows (Warks Juniors) won the under-12 tournament with 9 points from 11 rounds and Adithya Vaidanathan (KE Camp Hill Boys Sch, Birmingham) was fourth on 7½ points. In the under-8 tournament Tara Tamilselvan (Leics) was third with 8½ points from 11 rounds. These rapidplay tournaments were organised by Sarah Longson and held at Blenheim Palace, Oxon and arbiters were Alex Holwczak, Matthew Carr and Emma-Jane Billington Phillips.

Do you want to play chess for England?

The English Primary Schools Chess Association Chess organises the England Under 11 Team and the England Girls' Under 11 Team. The England Girls' Under 11 Team is selected by its manager, based on performances at major tournaments run by ESPCA throughout the year. One of these events is being held in Nottingham (use "Junior Events" on the left menu) and others are in the calendar of ESPCA events. Use the next link to view The team selection procedure. If you would like to play chess for England and you are under eleven years old, ask your parents to contact Tim Walker, MCCU Junior Director.

Chess competitions for school children

Please click the "Junior Events" link on the left of this page for upcoming individual and team competitions

Organisers and coaches for junior players

Please use the "Junior Links" link on the left of this page to find junior organisers and chess coaches near you.