Chess Resurgence

Haberdashers’ Adams is enjoying a chess resurgence. The game has always been played at Adams but popularity has ebbed and flowed through its 365-year history.

Between 2004-2007, Ryan Palmer (Jamaican National Chess Champion 1992) taught maths at Adams and oversaw a golden period. The class of 2008 included Thomas Pym, who won the British Junior Championships in 2002 and 2003 and represented England on the international stage. It also included Chris Lewis who has been a member of Newport Chess Club since 2001. Together with Adams pupils Gavyn Cooper, Alex Taylor and the Baulf brothers, they formed the first junior team at the club in 2004. Chris now captains the club’s A team. In 2021, Chris became Head of Junior Chess for Shropshire and in the past three years has really grown chess in the county. This was recognised in 2023 when he was awarded the English Chess Federation’s Contribution to Junior Chess award.

The junior section of the Newport Chess Club has also witnessed an upsurge in interest with many Adams students joining. Recently, Chris has formed an Adams School team at the club. In October, six members represented Adams at the Eton ECF Secondary Schools Rapidplay tournament. In November, ten members represented Adams at an ECF National Schools Championships qualifier in Walsall. The team qualified and will now play in a regional zone knock-out competition.

Dr Al-Murani, who joined the maths department in September 2024, has picked up the Adams’ chess baton. He has formed a school-based team and started entering the team into competitions. To kick start the process, 76 students, from across every year group, took part in a Swiss-system tournament on 4th December. Chris and Newport Chess Club supplied the 38 boards and helped run a very successful afternoon which saw five rounds played. The result was a tie between Thomas C in Y11 and Malcom F in Y8 who won all five of their games. A championship play-off on a live board resulted in Thomas lifting the inaugural Adams' Chess Cup. Match report link.

Chess Champs 2024

Adams students have also had recent success in individual tournaments, most recently at the Staffordshire Junior Championships where Ruya K in Y7 was crowned Staffordshire U12 female champion.

Want to Play Chess?

Chess Club runs in Big School Library on Wednesday lunchtimes in the library. Newport Junior Chess Club meet every Tuesday evening 6.30pm to 7.30pm at the Royal British Legion, Newport, TF10 7DP. The Shropshire Junior Championships takes place at Charlton School, Wellington on Saturday 5th April.