A group of pupils, some aged as young as 12, have made it through to the national finals of a schools U19 chess competition.

Tom, Dom, Ed, Hugo, Madeleine, Henry and Isaac knocked out 150 teams in the regional round to emerge victorious, holding their nerve in some close games.

Maths teacher Anthony Merrett, who accompanied the team to the event, said: “This was an amazing achievement from the team as some of the players were so young. The final will be a fantastic opportunity over two days to play some of the very best teams from across the UK.”

The College continued its run of chess success with an impressive display in the finals of Sussex Butler Cup schools competition in May. With two Brighton College teams entering for the first time, the school had qualified for the both the Cup and Shield elements of the under 14 Sussex tournament.

The A team (Ed, Theo, Henry and Isaac) were in imperious form and won eight from eight matches in their opening two rounds, requiring only a draw against Hurstpierpoint College in the final round to retain the trophy. Theo led the way with an impressive victory on board two, enabling the team to win the final 2.5 to 1.5.