YOUNG Swindon chess players helped Wiltshire's under-16 and under-11 teams have achieve fine results.

The Under-16s produced one of the county's best results finishing third in the National Under-16 Team Championships in Birmingham.

Swindon's Richard Webb, 14, Joshua Hall, 13, and Nicola Thomas, 12, and Matthew Holmes, 15, of Lechlade, all produced 100 per cent scores, and Cricklade's David Bareham, 16, produced the vital win over the Hampshire board one, to enable Wiltshire to pip their neighbours for third place, behind Richmond and Warwickshire.

The county's 20-strong Under-11 team qualified for their age group's national finals by finishing fourth in a strong zonal competition.

Joe Loveless, 11, from St Catherine's, Swindon, was the only player to win all three of his games, though Nathaniel Garner and Toby Hall (both Lethbridge), and Alex Cooper (Dauntsey Aided) all had two wins and a draw.

Ten-year-old Lewis Martin, of Westlea, led the team, in which the top 13 players all scored 50 per cent or more.