KEVIN Hurney is the 2017 Worcestershire individual chess champion.

The South Birmingham Club ace was first in the congress at The King’s School Worcester with 4½ points from five games.

Herefordshire champion Lee Davis (Malvern) shared second with 3½ and won the Worcestershire seniors’ title. 

The Worcestershire minor champion was Rob Bricknell (Redditch) with 3 and the veterans’ title went to Philip Smith (Worcester) with 2½.

The junior title was won by nine-year-old Hallfield School captain Manvith Sandhu with 2½.

His father Ravi Sandhu (Halesowen) got the prize for the highest score by an ungraded player.

The event was organised by Ray Collett from Worcestershire Chess Association and controlled by Andrew Farthing.

A chess bookstall raised nearly £150 for St Richard’s Hospice.