Commonwealth Junior Championships 2014 – meet the team

30th June – 8th July 2014 Glasgow, Scotland
http://www.scottishchesschamp.co.uk/

Mikey-chess-board-june-2014
U10: Mikey Watson
Hi, I’m Mikey. I have been playing chess competitively for the last three years and am delighted to be representing England in an international tournament. I go to Sevenoaks Primary School in Kent. I enjoy lots of other things including: playing football for my local team, playing table tennis, code club projects using scratch, xbox strategy games and I am also a master at the egg and spoon race.

I would like to thank everyone who supports my chess and helps me to improve my game, especially Mrs Wood at school, Krishna and Rohan Shiatis and Luca Bernadini at Kent Aces training, my brother Jacob and my mum.
Thivyaa Rahulan
U10 Girls: Thivyaa Rahula
I started playing chess at the age of 7 and began to play competitively at the age of 8. My other interests are tennis, piano, singing and swimming . I go to Newcastle-Under-Lyme Junior School. I would like to thank all the people who helped me with my chess.
Commonwealth_08July2
U12: Nugith Jayawarna
I am 11 years old. I started playing chess at the age of 7 at my first Primary School (Cannon Burrows CofE) chess club. My greatest achievements in chess are coming Runner-up in the 100th British Chess Championship U11 (2013), 3rd in the Young Talents Tournament (U12) held in Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic, and runner-up in the U12 (2014) National Junior Squad Championship. I would like to thank my coach Graham Andrews, who has helped me immensely over the course of the last few years. I would also like to thank Steve Mason, Bill O’ Rourke, Brett Lund and the Lancashire Chess Association for supporting me to further my chess. Finally I would like to thank my family for supporting and encouraging me in many ways. Away from chess I am actively involved in physical sports; cricket, football and basketball. I attend Heyes Lane Primary School.


U12 Girls: Madeleine Liu
I am 11 years old and I started playing chess aged 7, introduced as part of the curriculum at my school (Copthorne Prep). I only started playing regularly in chess competitions just over 3 years ago. My greatest achievement in chess has been winning the U12 Girls’ title in the 3rd Gibraltar International Junior Chess Festival in 2013. I have also won the National IAPS Open (U13) Girls’ title for the last 2 years as well as the overall U11 title in 2012 aged only 9. Apart from chess, I play squash, netball, hockey, rounders and football. I also play the violin (Grade 6) and piano (Grade 4).

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U14: Rayyan Farooq
I am 12. I moved to England from Scotland few months back. I learned chess at the age of 4 when my gran taught me how to play. I wish I could have taken it more seriously when I was younger. Started playing 2 years ago. Among my other interests are rugby, drawing (animation in particular) and music.