A national chess tournament took place last weekend in Monmouthshire.

The Wales National Under 18 Chess Squad faced off against Sussex Junior Chess Club at The Grange, Usk.

During the tournament on Saturday, July 13, various games were won by each side showcasing a balanced competition among the young players.

The Wales team was led by manager, Ian Eustis, and consisted of talented players: Yaroslav Sharhorodsky, Adam Sarwar, Otto Bartlett-Davis, Constantine Popov, Lucas Zheng, Danylo Shevchenko, Ethan McGrath, Tycho Twohig, David Belochkin, Raga Mandadupu, James Chuong, Kristan Enoch, Sam Rein, Farouq Nasir, Robert Sequeira, Vismith Prabhu, Andrei Zhuravlev, Yuxuan Wu, Emma Kong and Robert Hurn.

The Sussex Junior Chess team were managed by Mr. Mike Forster (FIDE Master) and his wife Debbie.  

The Sussex Junior Chess team were managed by Mr. Mike Forster (FIDE Master) and his wife Debbie.  The Sussex Junior Chess team were managed by Mr. Mike Forster (FIDE Master) and his wife Debbie.   (Image: Sarah Tagg)

The team was made up of:  Henri Blin; Arthur Kendall; Raina Jithendra;  Risha Jithendra; James Ratcliffe; Samuel Shah; Sidhanth Pai; Luke Freeman;  Louis Buckland; Ben Crosby; Peter Crosby;  Cillian Nagy; George Tagg; Ann Tagg;  Nathanael Waller; Jacob R Wynn; Aidan Burnside; Sophia Blin; Rose Burgess; Elizabeth Finn.

Mike Forster (England FIDE master and Sussex Junior Chess Team's manager), along with National Master Callum Brewer and Welsh FIDE Master Alexis Harakis, took the time to analyse each of the games, reinforcing the educational aspect of the tournament.

Mr Eustis stated that this tournament was an excellent opportunity for the young chess players to hone their skills ahead of the prestigious Glorney Cup event.

There were multiple matches throughout the dayThere were multiple matches throughout the day (Image: Dr Sarah Tagg)

Scheduled for July 23 at the University of Hull, the Glorney Cup is a respected tournament with historical significance dating back to 1948. it is likened as the Six Nations but for chess.

Ahead of the Glorney Cup, the teams from Wales National Squad and Sussex Junior Chess are expected to have more matches, with aims to raise their game standards.

The benefits of chess for both children and adults was reiterated through the tournament.

Chess enthusiasts were encouraged to join clubs like the North Cardiff Chess Club, Llanelli Chess Club, and Morriston Chess Club.

As the tournament came to a close, attendees expressed their appreciation for Natasha at The Grange for accommodating the major event.