King's chess players made all the right moves to qualify for the finals of the British Chess Federation's National Team Challenge (Years 7 and 8).
Facing A and B teams from Tytherington High, Wilmslow High and Cheadle Hulme School, King's A won the overall event with their all-girls B team coming third and a strong Wilmslow A team as runners-up.
It is the first time that King’s has reached the final in six years and they will travel down to Nottingham in June for a major festival of British youth chess.
King's Chess coach Andrew Ireland said: "This is a golden age for King's chess. We now have some 125 players playing from Year 2 up to Year 13 with some vey talented young players.
"Some of the members of these teams will also be representing King’s in the British Chess Federation under-18 team challenge and will make up some of the youngest players at that event.”
Taran Davies, age 12, Number One on the A team, said: "I've only been playing for two years, but I love that I can now see patterns emerging on the board, and can develop strategies early in every game."
Sanuk Gamage, age 11, added: "I started playing in Year 1 and, to help me develop, my dad used to play me at home, but I think the last time he beat me I was aged five."
Such sentiments were echoed by all the young players, who chimed to get meaningful practise they really had to come to school to play their friends and team-mates. Andrew Ireland provides seven sessions each for varying age and ability levels and is delighted that there are now as many girls taking up the challenge as boys.
One of the star girl players Alexandra Taylor, 12, added: "The girls came in as group, enjoy playing together and the great team spirit and are beginning to take over the boys."