Worcestershire Chess Association

Worcs CA     Worcestershire Juniors

Worcestershire Junior Chess Academy

 

WJCA is sponsored by King’s School Worcester: the academy receives use of a classroom without charge.

Click for directions and location map

Click for parents' information and joining form (both pdf documents)

 

Next Autumn Term club meeting Saturday 23 Nov

During school term-time the club meets on alternate Saturday mornings 10:00 am to 11:45 am at King's School Worcester, next to the Worcester Cathedral. Enter from Castle Place WR1 2NB. Take care not to go through the Edgar Tower because you will need an access code to drive out of College Green.

 

The club is most suitable for players aged between 8 and 15 years old. If you would like to join us, please contact Simon Berry by e-mail before your child's first attendance. The club is very popular so please complete the parents' information and joining form. We'll let you know as soon as we have a place available and when we will be able to welcome you." Please do not attend if you have runny nose, or a cough.

 

Young players

 

UPCOMING

NEWS

WJCA players at Birmingham Junior Open

19 Oct 2024. Ethan Twohig (Northwick Manor Sch) had a superb result in the under-9 tournament at King Edward VI Five Ways School Birmingham. Ethan was 2nd with 4 points from five games in a field of 27 players.

Academic successes for Worcestershire Juniors

18 Aug 2024. Joshua Clarke (Malvern), former Worcestershire junior champion, is going to Edge Hill University to study Psychology and Ed Higgs (Worcester) is going to study at Aston University.

Members win trophies and medals at Malvern

2 Jun 2024, Simon Berry reports. At the UK Schools Chess Challenge Worcestershire Megafinal held at Malvern Colege, Ethan Twohig (Northwick Manor Pri Sch Worcester) scored 4 points to finish equal third in his group and top of the under 8 section, earning qualification for the Gigafinal. Lottie Fraser was top girl in the under 11 section and qualified for the Megafinal. In the Under 18 section James Allsop scored 4½ points, finishing third and qualifying for the Gigafinal. Dylan Aston (Bishop Perowne HS, Worcester) and Ned Guyett (Nunnery Wood HS, Worcester) both scored 3½ points and qualified for the Gigafinal. Ruby Rastall (Heart of Worcestershire Colege) was second best girl in the under 18 section and also qualified for the Gigafinal.

Fomer member makes clean sweep at Hereford

5 May 2024. Dillan Duke (Hereford 6th Form Coll), scored 6 points from his six games at the UK Schools Chess Challenge at the Hereford Megafinal. He qualifies for a Gigafinal. Four club members played at the event. Ethan Twohig (Northwick Prim, Worc) just missed out for progress to a Gigafinal in the Under-8 section. Dylan Kirkbright (Bishops Perowne, Worc) and Dale Jackson played in the under-15 while Thomas Hughes (St Barnabus, Drakes Broughton Pri) played in the under-10 section.

Medals for members at Birmingham Junior Open

23 Mar 2024. Two Worcester players won medals in the Under-18 B tournament. Samuel Thomas won a gold medal for his first place with 4½ points from his 5 games. James Allsopp won a silver medal sharing third place on 3½ points. In the Under-11 group C tournament, Jonah Brown (3 points) and Harry Barraclough (2½ points) won bronze medals. At the last meeting of Spring term, chess coach Scott Oxtoby took players through his winning game against grandmaster Keith Arkell played last week at Hereford.

Former club player Dillan Duke beats Grandmaster.

13 Mar 2024. Dillan took on GM Keith Arkell former English champion in a simultaneous exhibition at Hereford. The grandmaster played 37 opponents, won 33 games and lost 4 incluing the one against Dillan. Dillan now plays for Malvern first team.

Three WJCA players at Warwickshire Under-11 tournaments

20 Jan 2024. Harry Barraclough, Dylan Aston and Linus Oxtoby travelled to Warwick for the Under-11 Junior tournaments. Harry Barraclough was the most successful scoring 3½ points, placed fourth on tie-break and improved his rating.

Festive ending to season

9 Dec 2023. At the last meeting before Christmas, seventeen enthusiastic chess players tried chess variants - such as 3 way chess and "bughouse chess" as well as standard games and a short Christmas quiz. The club is proving very popular and the young players are already looking forward to returning in January 2024.

Members score at Birmingham

8 Oct 2023. Abel Sebastian played in his first chess congress when he travelled to play in the Birmingham Junior Open. He scored two points from his games in the strong Under-18 tournament. Harry Barraclough also played, but in the Under-11 section and scored 4 points from five games and coming second in his section of 24 players.

More WJCA players qualify for UK Chess Challenge Gigafinal

10 Jun 2023. In the Shropshre Megafinal Jonah (under-10) and Jack (under14) qualified to join James who had already qualified from an earlier Megafinal. Click for full results.

Players at Birmingham Megafinal

7 May 2023. James Allsopp finished 6th with 3½ points and qualified for a Gigafinal. Two other WJCA players took part and scored well, but not quite good enought to get to a Gigafinal. The tournament was held at UK Chess Challenge Megafinal held at Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School, Acocks Green.

WJCA players at Shropshire Junior Congress

18 Mar 2023. James Allsopp win second prize at the Shropshire Under-14 tournament. Three Worcester players competed scoring 4½ for second place and 3 points in the under-14 tournament and 3 points in the Under-10 tournament. Click tounament for full results.

WJCA player James Allsopp wins Worcestershire Junior Quickplay

19 Dec 2022. James Allsopp emerged winner on tie-break from four other players to claim the under-16 trophy. Another club member, Samuel Thomas, matched James’s score, but was placed 4th on tie-break. In the under-11s, club member Jonah Brown (Claines Primmary Sch) was placed 3rd.

3 Oct 2022. In a Division 2 team battle, Worcestershire were third, below Suffolk and ahead of Richmond Juniors. Ned Guyatt (Nunnery Wood HS, Worcester) scored 22 points ahead of county junior champion Josh Clarke (King’s School Worcester).

 

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