European Youth Chess Championships 2018

… in Riga, Latvia from 19th to 30th August 2018

Tournament Director – IO Egons Lavendelis
Email: info@eycc2018.eu
Official website – here

Meet the Team
Head of Delegation – Mohammud Jaufarally
Max Bird
Max learned to play chess at the age of 4 from his dad. He goes to Coldfall Primary School in Muswell Hill, and would like to thank his coaches, Kamlesh Karia and Chris Russell, for their help and encouragement. He also attends Barnet Knights chess club regularly. Recent achievements include 2nd= at the London Junior Chess Championships U8, Barnet U8 and U9 champion, and scoring 6/6 on board 1 representing Coldfall’s U11 team at the EPSCA semi-finals in Camber Sands. He’s looking forward to his first international tournament in Riga.
Tanvi Gatne
Tanvi is currently 9 years old and has been playing chess since she was 6. She was introduced to chess by her coach Matt, and has never looked back since then. She participated in several chess tournaments at competitive level and has always enjoyed being there. Aside from chess, playing drums and reading are the other activities she finds relaxing in her spare time. Tanvi is super-excited to represent England at the European Youth Chess Championships in Riga this year!
Haorui Zheng
I am Harry Zheng. I am 7 years old. I became interested in chess when my family moved to Essex two years ago. I started playing competitive chess after learning techniques from Chesskid videos. I would like to thank all the people who have helped me develop, and Elm Green Preparatory School for giving me great support during my chess journey. I am currently the English Youth Grand Prix Champion of my age. Apart from Chess, I am also keen on sports, music, and reading.
Roxolana Chaban
Koby Kalavannan

Jude Shearsby
Jude started playing chess when he was 5 years old and he has been a member of the Coventry Chess Academy since this time. Jude would like to thank his coach Paul Lam for his support, guidance and encouragement and for being the best coach ever and making his chess journey possible! He would also like to thank the ECF for the opportunity to represent his country doing what he loves the most. Aside from chess, Jude enjoys music and sings in a choir and he also plays the piano.
Robert Akeya-Price
Bobby is a keen chess player both playing locally and internationally. He made many friends through his chess tournaments. Bobby wants to thank ECF for selecting him to represent England in the European Youth Chess Championship in Riga, Latvia 2018.
Elizaveta Sheremetyeva
I am 16 and I go to Oxford High school. I introduced to chess by my Dad in Russia, when I was 6, and began playing competitively when we moved to UK starting with coming Top Girl in the U12 London Junior Chess Championships in 2012 and joining the National Chess Junior Squad two years later. In my spare time I enjoy programming, reading and camping. I enjoyed the European Schools and European Youth previously and I’m really looking forward to playing in Riga this summer!
I would like to thank my parents for their much-appreciated constant support and encouragement!
Yashasvini Sreeram
Yashasvini is 8 years old and is the current Youth English Champion for her age group. She started playing competitive chess when she was 6 years old. She is a member of Berkshire Junior Chess Association and has played in several national chess competitions. Apart from chess she loves playing piano, dancing and playing with her naughty little brother. She would like to thank her chess teachers Mat and Viktor for their continuous support and encouragement.
Aditya Munshi
Hi I am Adi and I am honoured to represent England, for the sixth time, in Riga, Latvia. I go to Nottingham High School and learnt chess from my sister when I was 6 and started playing in tournaments when I was 10. Aside from chess I am interested in Physics and Biology and in particular maths. Sportswise, I play football, badminton, table tennis and cricket. I am also an accredited member of Mensa. I would like to thank GM Glenn Flear for his guidance, GM Peter Wells, my first coach Mr David Levens and finally my mum and dad without whom all of this would not be possible.
Nilomi Desai
Nilomi is 13 years old and attends Lady Eleanor Holles School in Hampton. She started playing chess at the age of 7 years old. She has kept the Grand Prix Title for 5 years which she is very happy about! She is in the third and final year of the ECF Chess Academy which she enjoys a lot and thanks all the coaches for the support and encouragement they have given her. She frequently helps to teach younger children chess at local Surrey tournaments. In school she enjoys participating in school plays and events and loves to socialize.
Nadia Jaufarally
Nadia is very excited to represent England for the 5th time since been introduced to chess by her chess mad dad 4 years ago. She is very grateful for the opportunity and would like to thank her parents for their ongoing support to help her achieve her dreams of becoming a …..
Denis Dupuis
Denis started learning chess as he turned 7 and playing competitively soon after. For a year he trained with the late amazing David Rumens whom he calls “the best coach ever”. He is a member of the Kent Junior Chess Team and a regular at the Battersea Chess Club. Aside from chess Denis enjoys playing for the Streatham Youth Ice Hockey Club, reading and speed solving Rubik’s Cubes. Denis is in Year 4 at Belleville School in London. He is fluent in English, Turkish and French.
Dimitrios Zakarian
My brother Robert taught me how to play chess when I was 3 and at the age of 5 I began to take part in various tournaments with the recent highlights being the top prize in the U9 category of the 2017 Terafinal and the best U10 in the 2017 Apokoronas International Open Tournament in Greece. I am currently the top board for the Oxfordshire Junior Chess U11 squad and I play on board one for my school’s, the Christ Church Cathedral School’s U11 and U13 teams. I would like to thank my parents for their constant support of my chess endeavour, especially my dad David for coaching me all these years. I also want to thank all the friends, family, and the anonymous contributors for supporting my crowdfunding efforts.
Dhruv Easwar

Elliot Cocks
At the age of 10, I started playing chess at my junior school chess club and Trevor Dickerson encouraged me to participate in my first tournament. I now play for Chelmsford, Writtle, Essex and the Anglian Avengers 4NCL team. I was British U16 Champion 2016 and will be proud to represent my country in Riga at the European Youth Chess Championships 2018. I would like to thank everyone at Essex Chess, the David Wood Memorial Trust and my family for their continual support and encouragement.
Lavanya Maladkar
Lavanya has won several national chess championships in junior categories, starting when she was six years old. Lavanya’s chess journey began in India, when she was selected at State Level, and continued in the UK at Bramcote Hills Primary School, under the guidance of Mr. Trevor Williams and Mr. John Crawley. Lavanya represented her school in EPSCA tournaments and her county as the U9 Girls and Boys Captain, U11 Captain Girls and Boys and U11 Girls. She was the first ever girl winner of the English U11 Championship, winning all five rounds in October 2016. She also won the title of British Rapidplay Champion in Leeds in November 2016. She successfully retained her title of Suprema Nottinghamshire and Ultima Northern England for the fourth consecutive year in the Delancey UK Chess Challenge. She won the Best Player award in her first international, the Glorney Cup, and gave a brilliant performance in the European Youth Chess Championship in Romania. She is an avid reader, loves listening to music and playing badminton.
Keerthana Easwar

Alisha Vyas
Alisha was introduced to chess at the age of 6 through her school (North London Collegiate). Since then she has won over 60 top awards for herself and her school. These span across a variety of local and National tournaments, including ECF National Girls Championship winners, EPSCA National Championship semi-final winners, Barnet County U11 National Championship and Girls National Championship winners, LJCC top girls prize and South of England top girl prize, as well as awards at Megafinals and Gigafinals. Alisha is looking forward to playing at International level and progressing her chess further. She would like to thank her coaches Mr D’Costa and Mr Winston for all their training, Mrs Newman for her support and her school chess team for their encouragement. She would also like to show her appreciation to her parents for taking her to all the tournaments. Outside of chess Alisha also participates in maths competitions, loves reading and creative writing, plays the piano and enjoys composing her own pieces.
Nishchal Thatte
Nishchal has played chess for 3+ years and has represented England on previous occasions. He loves playing chess, is a keen long distance runner, and likes playing cricket as an after school activity at Grove Road Primary School in Hounslow.
Nandinee Thatte
Nandinee has played chess for 4 years. She enjoys reading, swimming and represents The Henrietta Barnett School in cross country.
Savin Dias
Ruwan Dias
Adam Hussain

Joseph Dalton
Ritika Maladkar
I have been playing chess for more than 8 years and have represented Nottinghamshire, West Nottingham Club and Fernwood School. I have played Board 1 for the U19 Girls’ team at The Fernwood School for the last 4 years. This year, we won the U19 ECF National Girls’ Championship at St. Catherine’s, Bramley. My personal achievements this year include winning The Sharon Furlong award at Blackpool Congress, along with a great performance at the 18th 4NCL and Doncaster Congress recently. I would like to thank my Dad for instilling in me an interest in chess and Lavanya, my younger sister, who still plays me even though its sure to end in a battle.
Akshaya Kalaiyalahan