THE next generation of chess champions have called checkmate on their North-East competitors after qualifying for a prestigious national contest.

A team of teenagers studying at Yarm School will once again represent the region at the English Chess Federation (ECF) Team Chess Challenge, hosted in London, after triumphing in regional rounds.

Seventeen-year-old Freddie Wiles will be joined by teammates Ihsaan Mahmood, 12, Abhinav Ramisetty, 12, Tom Hall, 13, and Gautam Sathyamurthy, also 13, who will compete against 13 schools from across the UK this week.

International chess grandmaster, Jonathan Mestel, will oversee the tournament at the Imperial College, in South Kensington, where he is a professor in applied mathematics.

David Dunn, Yarm School headmaster, said: “These are very exciting times for Yarm School chess.

“Our pupils are doing exceptionally well and competing with the very best across all age groups.

“Chess has significant benefits for our pupils, including developing their capacity for strategic thinking and tactical skills, responsiveness to problem solving and interpretation of others’ thinking.

“We are very proud of all our chess teams who are flying the flag for Yarm School and region with such success.”

Yarm School has also qualified for the English Schools National U19 final and will take part in the two day event at Uppingham School, in Leicestershire, in July.

Last year, Yarm School’s Under-11 chess team triumphed at the HMC Schools’ Chess Championships and hosted the 22nd Yarm Chess Championships, which attracted 33 teams with 140 players from across the Tees Valley.