"Schoolgirls" Clinch Victory!

Yeah, but these are not your ordinary schoolgirls :) Story at http://www.star.co.uk/ (serving South Yorkshire) (Photo from story: Winners: Francesca Fozard, Amy Greenhough, Rebekah Brown, Evie Hollingworth, Anna Cunningham and Megumi Parbrook) Schoolgirls clinch victory in national chess championship Published Date: 11 June 2009 By Richard Marsden BRAINY schoolgirls from South Yorkshire tested their tactics and concentration to the limit to win a national chess championship. Evie Hollingworth, aged 14, and Megumi Parbrook, 11, from Sheffield, Francesca Fozard, 13, from Barnsley, and Anna Cunningham, 11, from Rotherham, made up two-thirds of the victorious under 14s girls Yorkshire team. They were joined by Rebekah Brown, 14, from Leeds, and Amy Greenhough, 13, from Bradford, to win the day-long contest in Leicestershire. Opponents were from Lincolnshire, Worcestershire, Kent, and reigning eight-times champions Surrey. The competition involved three rounds of games lasting almost two hours each. Yorkshire got off to a stunning start, winning every match in the first round and remaining undefeated in the second with four wins and two draws. Going into the last round, the team was two points ahead of Kent and after losing two games, it came down to a nailbiting finish resting on the result of the last game – Yorkshire against Kent. Delighted team manager John Hipshon said: "It was a thrilling and tense finish. A victory for either player would have resulted in their team taking the title but our player kept her cool under pressure and won. "It was a very tough competition at a high standard. To come away with the trophy is a real achievement."