Brentwood School chess stalwarts reign supreme

Brentwood School’s chess aficionados go from strength to strength making all the right moves in the sport’s highest echelons; the latest being qualification for the National Under 19 School Chess Championship Final.

The Brentwood team will be among just 20 schools from across the country that will descend on the Midlands at the end of term for a two-day tournament to decide the National Champions.

Having lost 3.5/2.5 in the East Anglian Final to Norwich School, Brentwood went through thanks to an online Repechage competition.

Team members Nina Pert, Max Pert, Jaden Omoruyi, Shayan Gohil, Taej Siddharth and Rostislav Kovalev won the rapid play event by amassing 44 wins from 60 individual games in 90 minutes. Only the winning school qualified.

Brentwood School chess coach, Robin Slade, said Brentwood’s qualification for the Under 19 event was all the more impressive because of the age of the school’s players. “Our whole team is Year 9 or below although the competition is open to students up to Year 13.”

Proud Headmaster Michael Bond congratulated the team ‘on their wonderful achievement.’ He added: “The future of chess is certainly very bright at Brentwood.”

And the accolades do not end there. Nina, who is in Year 9, will compete in the English Women's Championship later this month as one of 12 invited players, and brother Max, in Year 7, will take part in the adult English Championship as one of 25 invited players. Max will face many of England's top titled players including Brentwood School’s own Director of Chess and his dad IM Richard Pert!