The Junior Chess squad has enjoyed extraordinary success, winning every team competition going, including both the Welsh Primary Schools’ Chess Championships and the English Chess Federation National Schools Girls’ Championship, the top chess UK tournament for teams of girls.
All girls in Chess Club were given the opportunity to take part in weekend junior events and a cabinet-full of individual trophies was won during the year. Twelve pupils competed at the Welsh Junior Girls’ Championships – amazingly four of the six sections were won by Howell’s girls! There were more happy faces at the Welsh Junior Championships, where outstanding results led to five of our girls being selected for Wales.
There have been some brilliant individual performances this year especially at the 2014 Commonwealth Chess Championships, held in Glasgow in July, where Shayanna S won gold in the under 12 section. In a mixed field, Shayanna finished a whole point ahead of WFM Tanishka Kotia from India, scoring eight points from a possible nine. This has been described by current Welsh Champion Tim Kett as the ‘best performance ever by a Welsh junior’. In the under 10 section Venetia S scored 6.5/9 and won the silver trophy for girls. At the British Chess Championship in Aberystwyth in August Venetia S completed a double and was crowned under 9 and 10 British Girls Champion – capping a fantastic summer for the sisters!
The ‘Brits’ are a top test for ambitious young chess players. Another highlight for Howell’s was Alyssa W’s performance in the U16s – where she was 2nd girl. Congratulations also to Emily W, Susanna F and Nayana K for performing admirably at this top level.