A TWELVE-YEAR old chess whizz from Shebbear College has proven his skill once again, clinching a trophy in a prestigious chess tournament among established adult players.

Theo Slade claimed the 'most brilliant game' trophy in the open section of the 38th Guernsey International Chess Festival.

The festival is the strongest tournament Theo has played in to date, featuring players from eleven countries, including four grandmasters.

Theo, who is in Form 1 of the senior school, was the youngest and lowest rated player of the 78 entrants, and all of his opponents were adults. He held his own, winning two of his seven games, drawing three and losing only two. He finished in joint 38th place, ahead of more than 30 higher rated players.

In the last round, Theo played 79-year- old Rudiger von Saldem from Germany, the oldest player in the tournament, who was playing in his 37th Guernsey open tournament. Despite his opponent having a World Chess Federation ranking of 1,999, Theo won the game in just 21 moves, and in doing so, won his trophy. Theo's World Chess Federation rating is 1,716.

He was awarded the trophy at the gala dinner and awards evening on the final night. The trophy is usually awarded to one of the grandmasters, and the organisers believe this is the first time it has ever been presented to a junior in the tournament's 38 year history.