The king and queen of a school chess club are celebrating winning places at the national finals.

Madhi Sahli, ten, and sister Sabrina, nine, of Wivenhoe, have been developing their chess skills at Broomgrove Junior School and after outmanoeuvring the opposition at regional heats, they are taking on the country's best.

Chess masters - Sabrina, nine and Madhi Sahli, ten, of Broomgrove Junior School, Wivenhoe

They were joined by Jang-ho Parks, ten, and Sang-ho Parks, eight, at the UK Chess Challenge's regional Megafinal Round, which took place in Basildon on May 3.

Sabrina gained five and a half points and won the under nine section making her supremo champion and winning a trophy and book entitled How To Beat Your Dad At Chess.

Madhi also gained five and a half points in the under 11 section.

About 66,000 children took part in the challenge across the country and Madhi and Sabrina will now compete against the top 2,000 at the national Gigafinals at Keele University, Staffordshire, in July.

Published Monday, May 19, 2003

Brought to you by the Evening Gazette