Mary Crowned Triple National Chess Champion

Bancroft’s Prep pupil Mary has had an outstanding summer of chess, bringing home three national titles from the British Chess Championships in Liverpool.

The Championships, held between 31 July and 10 August at St George’s Hall, saw Mary crowned Girls’ Champion in the Classical, Rapidplay and Blitz events in the Under-10 category. She also secured joint third place overall in the Classical event, competing against both boys and girls. Winning all three Girls’ titles in a single year is an unusual feat and marks a remarkable achievement.

Her success in Liverpool followed another strong performance at Sandown Park in July,where she won the Under-10 Girls’ Southern Gigafinal of the Delancey UK Chess Challenge. The result secured her place at the Terafinal in October, held this year at Blenheim Palace. It will be Mary’s third consecutive appearance in the national finals, an achievement that underlines her consistency and commitment to the game. The victory also earned her a feature in local newspapers, including a front-page story in the Guardian’s local edition.

Reflecting on her summer, Mary said:

“I am proud of all my chess achievements this summer, and I hope there will be many more great moments in my journey to becoming a great chess player.”

Mr Joe Layburn, Head of Bancroft’s Prep School, said:

“Many congratulations to Mary for another wonderful achievement. We are all so proud of her!”