Knight school! Young chess wizard flying flag for Wales

BORED during lockdown, schoolboy Lucas Zheng started playing chess online for fun and now competes as part of the Wales U10 team around the globe.

- ABBIE WIGHTWICK Education editor [e-mail]

> Lucas Zheng discovered a passion for chess online during lockdown

The Cardiff chess whizz, who won his first trophy aged six, has just returned from the European championships in Montenegro and hopes one day to become a world-class player.

It was by chance that Lucas discovered his hidden talent. During pandemic school closures his dad Chen, who doesn’t play chess himself, suggested to his son that if he was going to play on screens he could try chess.

Online chess had come to the fore during lockdowns. Netflix success The Queen’s Gambit, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, had also raised the game’s profile and Chen thought his son might enjoy the challenge. Chen was looking for ways to keep his son learning during classroom closures and soon chess was more than a fun hobby for him.

Lucas was in Year One at Lakeside Primary at the time and was soon so good his father got him an online coach. A year later in 2022 Lucas played his first competitive game and joined North Cardiff Chess Club's junior section.

"He was very soon champion in his age group," says Lucas' father, admitting he doesn’t really play chess himself and would never beat his son at the ultimate game of strategy.

"We don’t play chess as a family but Lucas loved Lego and puzzles and we suggested chess online,” said research scientist Chen.