THEO Slade, from Marhamchurch, travelled to Liverpool on the weekend of April 2 and 3 to play in the England Under-11 Chess Team Trial.

The tournament, which was played over two days, comprised the top 44 under-11 chess players in the country, who had qualified for the event through a series of tournaments held all over England starting in Nottingham last October. Theo was the only player from Devon and Cornwall to qualify and he did so as one of 15 under-10s.

The trial involved six matches of two hours each, with three games taking place on each day. The weekend was very intense with so much resting on the outcome. With one point for a win and a half for a draw, a score of 3.5 out of 6 would ensure qualification for the team.

Theo started with a quick draw before two wins put him in a great overnight position.

For the full report, see this week's edition of the 'Post'.