Telford College is celebrating an outstanding performance from its student chess teams in their first major competition.

The college’s ‘A’ team finished runners‑up in the Shropshire Junior Chess Championships, beaten only by reigning champions Haberdashers’ Adams Grammar School of Newport. A second college team also recorded a creditable seventh place finish.

The college’s chess community has grown rapidly thanks to the passion and drive of club founder Connor Oswin. Working closely with careers co-ordinator Matt Crooke, he has helped guide a committed group of students from learning the fundamentals of chess to competing confidently.

Connor said he was incredibly proud of the team’s performance. “Second place in our first tournament as a college – and only missing out to Adams Grammar – is definitely something to be proud of. I set up the chess club with the hope of sharing my main passion, and clearly it has worked.

“My grandfather taught me how to play, and I’ve loved chess ever since. I only started playing competitively in 2024, but I set up a chess club at my secondary school and when I joined Telford College, I wanted to build something similar – a place where anyone could learn, compete and enjoy the game.”

The team spent six months preparing for their competitive debut, building confidence through internal matches and structured training.

“Chess club is open to all students of any ability,” Connor said. “In the first few weeks, new players just play friendlies to settle in. If they stick with it, we introduce internal competitions so they can get a proper feel for tournament‑style matches.

“We play different formats, we’ve created our own internal rating system, and sometimes I run mini‑tournaments with trophies and prizes to boost interest.”

Looking ahead, Connor said the team was already planning its next steps. “Right now, we’re working on developing smaller squads of two or three players so we can enter more team‑based events. We’re also considering expanding to create some inter‑campus competition from September.

“We’re really keen to put together an all‑girls team for a future tournament. Increasing the popularity of chess among girls in Telford and Shropshire is something I’d love to see.”