A TEAM of students from Ampleforth College have qualified for the 20/20 Chess National Superfinal, making them the first-ever school team to go through to this stage of the competition.

The tournament was held in York and saw Ampleforth teams face-off against university students and alumni, including teams from Durham University and the University of York.

Seven students took part in the competition along with Jon Mutton, teacher of classics and housemaster of St Thomas’ Boarding House.

The students split into two teams, with Mr Mutton leading the A team to victory. Year 11 student Ben McDonnell was awarded a Bronze medal for scoring 4/5 in his matches and the B team, while not securing a place in the final, performed very well, especially against such fierce competitors.

20/20 chess competitions typically attract a range of entrants, from teams experiencing their first competitive chess matches, to those who are internationally recognized. The York competition saw 64 individual games of chess played, yet not one of them ended in draw - demonstrating the skill of the players and the aggressive attacking nature of the tournament. The seven students who competed from Ampleforth are involved in Chess Club which takes place weekly and is one of over 70 extra-curricular activities available to all students at the school.

Mr Mutton said: “Both teams did very well, especially considering the tough competition they faced. It was a fantastic experience and we are delighted to have qualified for the finals which will take place in June.”