Brentwood Chess Teams Crowned Regional Champions

Brentwood School was proud to host an Under 19 Team Challenge tournament on behalf of the English Chess Federation on Thursday 11th December, welcoming strong opposition and showcasing the depth of chess talent across the School.

Three Brentwood teams competed in the event, with each team of four players contesting four rounds of chess to produce a maximum team score of 16. In total, 16 Brentwood students from Years 7 to 13 took part, rotating across teams and gaining valuable competitive experience.

The tournament proved to be closely fought. Going into the final round, Brentwood A faced fellow favourites KEGS A, with both teams having suffered earlier setbacks that left them just one board point behind the surprise leaders, Brentwood B. Brentwood A delivered an impressive 3–1 victory over KEGS A, but it was Brentwood B’s narrow 2.5–1.5 win against KEGS B that secured the overall title, claiming the Team Challenge Championship by just half a board point.

Congratulations go to the Brentwood B team players: Maadesh (Year 10), Shayan (Year 10), Akaash (Year 10) and George (Year 8), whose consistency and composure under pressure earned them a deserved triumph.

As Regional Winners, Brentwood School has now qualified for the National Final of the ECF Team Challenge, which will take place at Nottingham University in June 2026.

Reflecting on the event, Head of Chess, Mr Slade, said:

“This was a great way to round off our busy term of chess. The success of our B team and the strong performances from our C team demonstrate our growing strength in depth. All the B team players recently competed in the London Chess Challenge at the Emirates, which highlights the clear benefits of regular tournament play.”

The tournament was a fitting celebration of student commitment, teamwork and competitive spirit, and underlined Brentwood School’s continued success on the regional chess stage.