Hampshire Junior Chess Association is delighted to announce the appointment of Ollie Blacklock as our Under 9 Team Manager.

Ollie has kindly penned his chess biography as an introduction :

Discovering there was no junior chess club within 25 miles for my son to attend, I decided to set up a club at his school – the New Forest Small School – in Lyndhurst in 2015.

Following visits to three junior chess schools in Kazakhstan, and a discussion with Elyena Gaichenya of the “Champion” club in Almaty, I decided to start an independent junior club – the New Forest Chess Club – based in Lymington in 2017. This club has been very successful and has over 20 members and a waiting list, and some of the strongest junior players in the county.

I joined the Southampton Chess Club in 2017, and am in the process of registering as an ECF accredited coach. I give private chess tuition, and when I’m not doing chess, I’m being a design engineer, sailing, or playing music.

We wish Ollie all the best in his new role and look forward to his contributions to the fortunes and success of Hampshire Junior Chess Association.