In the under 16 section of the Welsh Chess Championships at Easter, sisters Shayanna [Year 8] and Venetia S. [Year 6] achieved the excellent result of tying in first place with a player from North Wales. The rapid progress the sisters have made, which has resulted in numerous awards for themselves and for the school, caught the eye of the Welsh selection panel and both girls were selected to represent Wales in the Women’s team at the 2016 Chess Olympiad. The Welsh Squad of five players will play against eleven different countries over the course of the competition.
Chess teacher Kevin Thomas said: “This is an incredible achievement for someone so young. Many people expected Shayanna and Venetia to represent the national adult team at some stage but to do so at the ages of 13 and 11 is truly staggering.”
The Olympiad takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan, during the first fortnight of September. Joining the girls in the ‘City of Winds’ on the Caspian Sea will be a "Who’s who" of the top chess players in the world. The organisers are expecting to host 2,000 chess masters from 175 countries. The event will take place in the famous Crystal Hall, where the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest was held.
