WORCESTERSHIRE under 120 chess team just made it into the national finals with a narrow win over Staffordshire at Redditch.

It was a close-run thing despite Staffordshire being two players short. 

Worcestershire’s winning players were Terry Radford (Droitwich), junior Monty Woodhouse (Midland Monarchs), Tony Taylor (Halesowen), Brian Allsop (Greenlands, Longbridge), Terry Pountney (Kidderminster) and John Hesketh (Worcester).

Humphries (Stourbridge), on board one, was the only player to half his game.

Skipper Richard Collett said: “It’s a good feeling to be back in serious contention after several lean years.

"The team are looking forward to the national stages."

It has been four years since the Worcestershire under 120 team were in the national stages.

It is the first time all three of the county’s chess teams are battling at national level.

The first national matches are likely to be on April 22 or May 8 and the national finals are on July 1 at Warwick.

But captains have to wait for the draw to know which county each will be playing.