IT WAS checkmate for Coventry chess prodigy Elis Dicen who has won the Under 12 final of the Delancey UK Schools’ Challenge after months of competition.
Elis, from the Coventry Chess Academy, battled her way through to the regional qualifying tournaments over the spring and summer to culminate at the finals at Blenheim Palace.
Two years ago, Elis became the first girl to become an open-section Delancey UK Schools’ chess champion and managed to repeat the feat this time around.
She saw off tough competition in the final from Tom Junde He, who is a former Coventry Chess Academy member and now competes for the Warwickshire Junior Chess Squad.
The tournament sees under eights, 10s, 12s, 14s and 18s competing for an array of monetary prizes and trophies throughout the spring and summer, with more than 5,000 students representing over 1,000 schools and chess clubs competing.
Elis is one of the top-ranked girls in the World for her age and is a member of the Chess Trust Accelerator Programme.
