The Girls Under 11 (Years Old) Chess Championship is the only Girls Team event that the English Primary Schools Chess Association (http://www.epsca.org.uk/) organizes every year in the UK, which started in 1984. 14 County teams each has 12 players competed in Oxford today for the England Girls Team Championship Shield (trophy of the championship, see picture below). Our 8 year-old (U9) middle daughter captained the Oxfordshire team as well as played on Board-1 and they won the Shield by half a point. Her 3rd game against an 11-year old girl from Nottinghamshire was the last game finished in the whole tournament, and her win decided the finishing order. It is such a pleasure to see this old "friend" back again in our house.

      The first time we had it was when our eldest daughter captained the Oxfordshire team and won the same championship in 2006. Our middle girl played on a lower board that time but her 3rd game win was also the last game finished, as crucial as it was today. Two teams tied at the end and Oxfordshire team won on board count. Our eldest girl is now too old to play this event, but she still holds a record of 9 wins out of 9 games which she played on board-1 in 3 consecutive finals. The Shield will be passed onto next year’s winner and the Cup is for the players to keep (also see picture below).

 

Figure caption. Trophy of the Championship - the England Girls Team Championship Shield (left) and Individual Winner’s Cup (right)