The ECF Schools Team Rapidplay - A Celebration of Team Chess at Eton
In our last blog we featured Filip Kaczmarek's chess journey from beating his maths teacher to captaining his school team in the ECF schools team rapidplay competition. This week we feature Yury Krylov's report on this year's schools team rapidplay final which was held at Eton College in Berkshire on Sunday 18th January. You can find details of all of the English Chess Federation's Schools Competitions for 2025/ 2026 on the ECF Schools Web page here:
https://englishchess.org.uk/Schools/
ECF Schools Team Rapidplay by Yury Krylov, ECF Home Chess Development Director
Sunday 18 January marked the return of the ECF’s flagship schools rapidplay team event, once again very generously hosted by Eton College. This was my second year attending, which meant two things: first, I knew where to park; and second, I finally managed to catch up with Neill Cooper.
This was important because it allowed me to present Neill with his certificate of appreciation from FIDE – a small piece of paper representing a very large amount of hard work. Neill is one of those people without whom school chess tournaments simply wouldn’t happen. He organises, he cajoles, he solves problems before most of us have realised there is a problem. The honour was thoroughly deserved. Also deserving of thanks is Dr Moston of Eton College, who looks after us each year with the calm efficiency of someone who has seen every possible logistical issue and quietly dealt with it before breakfast. We are always made to feel welcome, and everything works – which, in an event of this size, is no small miracle.
Another key figure on the day was Nigel Dennis. Not only did he arrive armed with a formidable supply of digital clocks and other essential equipment, but we also established – between games and coffee – just how many chess journeys seem to trace back to him. Nigel was the person who first introduced Neill to the 3Cs of chess – club, county and congress – as a schoolboy, persuaded me to take up arbiting, and drew Alex Chmelev into the world of solving competitions. Fresh from Hastings and always playing for Maidenhead, Nigel is one of those quietly ever-present figures in English chess, and his help on the day was very much appreciated.
The beauty of this competition lies in the fact that it is a team event. Thirty-seven schools took part, spanning different year groups and every imaginable school type: comprehensive, grammar, independent, prep – and even an international French school. I will admit, somewhat shamefacedly, that it took me longer than it should have to work out where the fashionably late French entrants were in the list. My French is non-existent, and the French pronunciation of Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle is not something my brain computes easily in the morning. Last year we had an entry from Dunlin in Ireland, sadly absent this time, but the geographical spread was still impressive. Teams travelled from Lincolnshire, Solihull, Oxfordshire and Bristol. Artificial Intelligence – which is increasingly keen to involve itself in all areas of our lives – suggests that the combined one-way journey of all teams amounted to roughly 1,200 miles. I am not inclined to check its workings.
It would be a serious omission not to mention the chief arbiter, Sacha Torregrosa-McGough, who contributed an extraordinary amount both before the first piece was moved and throughout the day itself. Events like this inevitably generate a steady stream of last-minute team changes, eligibility queries, and well-intentioned misunderstandings – particularly when some schools are new to chess competitions and still finding their feet. None of this appeared to stress Sacha in the slightest. He dealt with every issue calmly and efficiently, keeping the event running smoothly at all times. For a first outing as chief arbiter, it was a significant responsibility, and one he carried with complete assurance.
As in any competition, some schools are stronger than others. Magdalen College School arrived with Yichen Han, an International Master on board one boasting a rapid ECF rating of 2508, and they proved, in the end, just too strong. They took first place in the Open, with Winchester College finishing level on points but losing out on tie-breaks – a head-to-head encounter providing the final verdict. But while trophies and ratings matter, they are not the whole story. As someone passionate about promoting chess more widely, it was genuinely heartening to see the less experienced teams turning up, rolling up their sleeves and giving it everything. Chess is a wonderful sport for representing your school. It offers camaraderie, competition and a sense of belonging – particularly for those children who might not otherwise find themselves in a school team photo.
I saw some dubious games. I saw some highly questionable moves. But I also saw passion, nerves, joy, despair and that unmistakable intensity that young players bring to the board. Away from the top tables, chess brilliance mattered less than the experience itself – and playing competitive team chess at Eton College is not something easily bettered on a school trip calendar. I was also delighted with the arbiting team. A mix of experience and youthful enthusiasm ensured the event ran smoothly and without drama – the holy grail of tournament organisation.
I was particularly impressed by young Gregory Kornilovich, who handled everything I threw at him with remarkable composure. From managing reserves to observing the top boards in the final round of the Open, he was flawless. What struck me most was that Gregory was younger than a good number of the competitors – and yet he commanded the room effortlessly, with minimal assistance. As someone keen to develop pathways for young arbiters, performances like this are exactly why we should not limit officiating roles to adulthood. Talent, it turns out, does not check your date of birth before turning up.
All in all, a superb day of chess – and a reminder of just how much good work is happening quietly, diligently and often joyfully in school chess across the country. It is also a moment to thank the real heroes of the day: the school staff who sacrifice their Sundays, complete risk assessments of heroic length and navigate the mysterious process of getting things ‘signed off’. Having some experience of school bureaucracy myself, I know that by the time a team arrives at Eton, an extraordinary amount of invisible labour has already taken place. The team captains are easy to miss amid the excitement of the games, but they are the reason the day happens at all.
Open Results: https://s3.chess-results.com/tnr1333878.aspx
Major Results: https://s3.chess-results.com/tnr1333882.aspx
