YOUNG Swindon chess player Nicola Thomas earned herself an extra-special birthday reward when she added the West of England Chess Union Ladies' Championship to her collection of titles.
Nicola produced the best result by a woman at this year's West of England championships in the week of her 13th birthday when she achieved a 50 per cent score in the Minor section of the tournament, held in Exmouth, Devon.
"It wasn't a brilliant performance, but it was better than any of the other women taking part," she said.
It means she is now the proud holder of a 40-year-old trophy, to add to the Wiltshire and West of England Junior trophies she won at the junior championships in Swindon in March.
Two other junior chess internationals, 13-year-olds, Daniel Hall, of Old Town, and Robbie Dams, of Westlea, have just returned to the town after representing England in an Under 14 squad competing in the Czech Republic.
Faced with strong opposition from all over Eastern Europe, the boys did well to score four-and-a-half and four points respectively out of nine.
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