An exciting new event, the North Wales Junior Rapidplay Championships took place at Rydal Penrhos School 
recently.
Players from across North Wales travelled to Colwyn Bay to take part in three age-group tournaments: Under 18, Under 11 event and Under 9.
There were trophies and titles for the champions of every age group, with medals for runners-up and certificates for all participants.
The strength of chess at Rydal Penrhos was reflected in the school’s impressive results at the event, with Amrit Bolina, Jonathon Osbourne and Viktor Frydrych taking the top three places in the Under 7 age group; Ali Al-Rawi and Anton Petkov taking 2nd and 3rd in the U 9s, Arjan Bolina and Harri Jackson taking 1st and 3rd respectively in the U10s, and Petko Petkov, Abhishek Bathula and Kathleen Cheesley claiming the top three places in the U 11s.
In the senior sections, the U 12s was won by Rydal Penrhos chess star, Imogen Camp, with Amy Goode taking 3rd place. In the U 16s, the battle for the top two places was also between two Rydal Penrhos senior pupils, Robert Warrington and Ho-Wing Ma, with Robert eventually winning out.
Andy Camp, organiser of the event, and head of chess at Rydal Penrhos School commented: ‘It was generally felt that the entire event had been a great success and an excellent way for the newly formed North Wales Junior Chess Association to make its appearance on the Welsh chess scene.’ He added, ‘The North Wales Junior Chess Association will be holding more events in the near future.’