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Alex for England?

11-year old Alex Sheerin of the Ipswich Chess Club and Bury Knights Junior Chess Club is attempting to qualify to play for the England Under 11 team.   His target has been to qualify for the Under 11 Trial, for which a ‘norm’ has to be gained.   Earlier at the London Junior in December he obtained a ‘half-norm’, so needed another half if he was to get to the Trial in April.

Mum Jane (pictured right with Alex) is incredibly supportive and on 19 January drove all the way to Liverpool (in the snow) for Alex to play in the EPSCA (English Primary Schools Chess Association) Rapidplay.  When they arrived at the venue they found a note pinned to the door to say the event had been cancelled.  This, after Jane had phoned the day before to check the event was still going ahead!

So, back to Ipswich and then last weekend it was off to Yateley in Hampshire to play in the South of England Junior Championships.  Playing in the Under 11 section, Alex scored the required three points out of five to obtain his second half-norm.   In doing so, he had a grading performance of 112.   See cross-table here.

Alex’s new ECF grade is 105, an amazing improvement from his July 2012 grade of 69.   His Rapidplay grade is 116.

Now Jane and Alex will have to travel back to Liverpool for the weekend of 27/28 April for the England Under 11 trial.    Good luck Alex!

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