The English Primary Schools’ Chess Association (EPSCA) exists “to advance the education of primary school aged children by teaching, supervising and developing the playing of chess by those children.”
EPSCA holds three annual team championships for member associations – Under 9, Under 11, and Girls Under 11.
The U11 Championship is for teams of 20, playing 3 rounds in a ‘jamboree’ format. Sussex compete in a local “4-Counties” match kindly organised by EPSCA’s Nigel Dennis as a ‘warm up’ before the zonals stage in March, and the national finals in May.
National Final, High Wycombe – 7th May 2016
South Zone, Bristol – 19th February 2016
4-Counties Match, Maidenhead – 14th February 2016
National Final, High Wycombe – 7th May 2016
Headline results:
| Team | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
| Barnet |
16½ |
15½ |
20 |
52 |
| Kent |
18½ |
15½ |
17 |
51 |
| Notts |
14½ |
17½ |
14 |
46 |
| Sussex |
11½ |
15 |
16 |
42½ |
| Wey Valley |
15 |
13 |
12 |
40 |
| Richmond |
11½ |
13½ |
14½ |
39½ |
| Oxfordshire |
12 |
9½ |
11½ |
33 |
| Hertfordshire |
9 |
12½ |
10½ |
32 |
| Somerset |
12 |
8½ |
7½ |
28 |
| Essex |
8 |
10 |
9½ |
27½ |
| Cambs |
8 |
6 |
9½ |
23½ |
| Lancs |
4½ |
8 |
7½ |
20 |
| Glamorgan |
7½ |
5½ |
4 |
17 |
| Bucks |
8 |
6 |
2 |
16 |
| Yorkshire |
6½ |
6 |
3 |
15½ |
| Wirral |
4 |
6 |
5 |
15 |
| Tameside |
4 |
2 |
5½ |
11½ |
The squad:
Rajan Allenby, Jonathan Britnell, Sam Cook, Alistair Creer, Matei Cumpatescu, Giovanni Currah, Thomas Dan, Oliver Faulkner, Elizabeth Finn, Edward Gray, Daniel Guldemond, Alec Hedger (captain), Billy Hopkins, Arjun Kolani, Xavier Laurillard, Matthew Liu, Oliver Manchester, Thomas Manchester, Thomas Martin, Rory Middlemiss, Luke Moody, Angus Oaten, Polina Shchepinova, Isaac Thackray Callum Vyse, Leo Yu
Report:
We arrived with a squad of 26 and high hopes for a top three placing. But on a hot day and in a cramped schoolroom, things did not start well. A late substitution and one or two of the team trying too hard for the team resulted in a 1st round score of 11½.
But once again the teams’ fighting spirit was strong. In the team talk the message was, do your best and enjoy the game. It resulted in a strong second round of 15 points and lifted the squad.
The third round was even better, but with two very unfortunate late results going against us, we finished with 16 points and an eventual 4th place finish.
All 26 squad players got games and I hope they all enjoyed the experience of representing Sussex in the finals.
Again huge thanks must go to the parents for your support and having to put up with the cramped team room! And again a big thank you to Mimi for getting this squad together and David for the photos. Thanks to Tim for acting as a board steward and Jonathan for running the team room and analysis while I was in the playing hall. I think I exceeded Bristol and only managed one visit to the team room during the 3 rounds. This was due to so many hard fought late finishes.
Chris Jones
U11 Team Manager
South Zone, Bristol – 19th February 2016
Headline results:
| Team | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
| Sussex | 17 | 13½ | 17½ | 48 |
| Oxfordshire | 13 | 12½ | 11½ | 37 |
| Wey Valley | 12 | 12½ | 10½ | 35 |
| Somerset | 10 | 13 | 11 | 34 |
| Glamorgan | 7½ | 8 | 9 | 24½ |
| Wiltshire | 5 | 7 | 10 | 22 |
| Gwent | 9 | 7 | 5 | 21 |
| Berkshire | 5½ | 6½ | 4½ | 16½ |
The squad:
Rajan Allenby, Jonathan Britnell, Sam Cook, Alistair Creer, Matei Cumpatescu, Giovanni Currah, Thomas Dan, Oliver Faulkner, Elizabeth Finn, Edward Gray, Daniel Guldemond, Alec Hedger (captain), Billy Hopkins, Xavier Laurillard, Oliver Manchester, Thomas Manchester, Thomas Martin, Rory Middlemiss, Luke Moody, Angus Oaten, Polina Shchepinova, Callum Vyse, Leo Yu
Report:
A great outing for the U11 squad, made so by the superb parental support in getting 23 players to Bristol for this zonal tournament. We wish Isaac a speedy recovery as he had to miss the teams triumph at the 11th hour due to ill health.
After scoring 17 points in the first round, the team was rocked back somewhat in the second round scoring just 13.5 points. So all to play for in the last round and the team did not disappoint. After a little team talk they came out and showed great concentration and determination, scoring an impressive 17.5 points to finish on 48 points.
So again, our thanks to the parents for your support. A huge thank you to Mimi for all her hard work in getting this team put together and to David for the photos. To Martin for acting as a board steward and Jonathan for running the team room and analysis while I was in the playing hall.
Finally, our thanks to Chris Strong, the tournament controller. To Clifton College for the superb venue and especially John and Alice at Clifton College for the impressive support and catering.
Next stop, the final!
Chris Jones
4-Counties Match – 14th February 2016 – Maidenhead
Headline results:
| Team | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
| Sussex | 16 | 15 | 15 | 46 |
| Oxfordshire | 12½ | 12 | 11½ | 36 |
| Bucks | 9 | 9 | 9½ | 27½ |
| Wiltshire | 2½ | 4 | 4 | 10½ |
The squad:
Rajan Allenby, Sam Cook, Isaac Cooper, Alistair Creer, Matei Cumpatescu, Giovanni Currah, Thomas Dan, Oliver Faulkner, Daniel Guldemond, Billy Hopkins, Grace Lamb, Matthew Liu, Thomas Martin, Rory Middlemiss, Luke Moody, Angus Oaten, Ben Power, Polina Shchepinova, Isaac Thackray, Callum Vyse, Max Wilton
Report:
With a few players unavailable and Elizabeth Finn’s absence due to illness on the day, 21 players took the opportunity to play for Sussex in the annual 4 County Match in Maidenhead. Despite being without Team Manager Chris Jones who had been suffering from a prolonged illness the players aquitted themselves well and all seemed to enjoy the opportunity.
Thanks to Jonathan Tuck and Mimi Khan for organising the team and to Martin Faulkner and Mark Currah for performing the Team Manger duties in the playing hall and many other parents for analyzing games and assisting with refreshments.
Thanks to Nigel Dennis for organising an excellent competition and to the parents for supporting their children on the day.
The pre-match team talk congratulated the children on selection for their county which is a great achievement and to point out how well supported SJC are by the parents and helpers. Many children were making their debut for the county – Thomas D, Isaac T, Aliastair and Angus, Ben and Max – but you would never have known it as their behaviour and concentration were fantastic.
Overall we saw steady focus and improvement through the day with 100% scores from Thomas D, Callum, Rajan, Billy, Rory, Sam, Luke and Max. On 2½ we had Polina and Thomas M. only dropping half a point. Also some great bounce-backs with Angus and Alastair, losing in round 1 but winning their next 2 matches. The match saw consistent scores over the 3 rounds and the team ran out comfortable winners in the end.
The selectors will now have the tough task of selecting the 24 player team for the zonal in Bristol and final in High Wycombe from this talented group together with the absentees.