Worcestershire Junior Rapidplay
December 2022

James plays for Malvern Club and has honed his skills at Worcestershire Junior Chess Academy. He just pipped four other players on tie-break winning 4 of his five games. The other players to gain 4 points were: Ben Chandler and Noah O’Sullivan (both Alvechurch Library Chess Club and Alvechurch Middle School), Samuel Thomas (Worcs Jun Chess Acad) and Cameron Henry (Kidderminster Club and RGS Worcester).

First placed girl was Michelle Zhu (Worc Jun Chess Acad and King’s Hawford, Worcester) also on tie-break from Edith Pleasant (Alvechurch Library Coventry Chess Acad and Alcester GS). Both scored 3 points. Michelle was unlucky in her final round game. Against an older and more experienced opponent she was ahead in the ending but blundered and then put up a stout defence when Cameron Henry had to sacrifice a knight for a pawn to force a won king and pawn vs king ending.

Among the under-11 players, first placed boy was Mortimer Dykes (King’s St Alban’s, Worcester) followed by Dylan Aston (Worcs Jun Chess Acad) and Jonah Brown (Claines Prim Sch and Worcs Jun Chess Acad). First placed girl was Isabelle Bird (Welford-upon-Avon Sch and Pebworth Chess Club) followed by Scarlett O’Sullivan (Alvechurch Library and Alvechurch Middle Sch) and Alice Jealous (Alvechurch Library).

The event was organised by Ray Collett and Nigel Towers at The Ark, St Laurence Church, Alvechurch for Worcestershire Chess Association on 22 December 2022.