Junior Chess Teams Beat Adults in Cup Final

The Knight's Shield event, run by the Cleveland Chess Association, is open to players of any age with an English Chess Federation rating under 1500. Thornaby Queens and Thornaby Juniors were the only fully junior teams in the competition, according to coach Chris Swales. The club has grown from 12 to 100+ players in recent years, making it 'by far the biggest club in the league.' Nine-year-old Jayden said he learned how to tackle much older opponents, while 17-year-old Omhle expressed shock at their progress.

'It's good to see each other grow in what we're doing,' she added. Eva noted the club now has over 20 female players compared to just one in 2019, highlighting increasing diversity in chess. This marked the first time an entirely Under-18 team from Thornaby has won a CCA trophy.