A RECORD entry of 56 players took part in the 21st Annual Malvern Area Junior Chess Congress at The Downs School, Colwall on Saturday.

Players aged from six to 18 years, competed in six age-group competition which had a gruelling eight round series of matches, during which the leader board was constantly changing in every category.

Results. U18: 1st= Douglas Webb (Hereford Cathedral School) and Thomas Hern (The Chase) 3= Joshua Elston (The Chase) and Jonathan Fane (King's Worcester).

U13: 1st Thomas Hern (The Chase) 2= Joshua Elston (The Chase) and Jonathan Fane (King's Worcester).

U11: 1st Joshua Williams (The Downs) 2nd Zac Beattie (Bosbury) 3rd= Joe Dawson (The Downs) and Alex McGuffie (The Downs).

U10: 1st Charles Heard (The Downs); 2nd Alex Pattison (The Downs); 3rd= Simon Davies (The Downs) and Maddie Pitt (Malvern Wells)

U9: 1st Joe Foulds (Malvern Parish); 2nd Ross Millar (Bosbury); 3rd Rafe Turner (Malvern Wells)

U8: 1st Jack Scanlon (The Downs); 2nd Hugh Harris (Malvern Parish); 3rd= William Baker (Northleigh), Felicity Heard (The Downs), Samuel March (Northleigh) and Alastair McGuffie (The Downs).