CHEPSTOW'S The Dell Primary School chess team is through to the semi-finals of a national chess competition.

The local round of the National Primary School Chess Championship took place at the school on Welsh Street and two teams from the school will be competing in the semi-finals in Bristol in May.

The under 11s team came first in the competition, held this month, scoring 14 points out of a possible 15. The team consisted of Neil Stevenson and Madeleine Smith, both of year five, as well as Sam Goodfellow, Nathan Bridel and Aaron Roberts, all of year six.

The under nines team came second scoring 20.5 out of 25. The team included Anna Boyle, Harrison Postans, Steffan Griffiths, Oliver Sapsford, Thomas Davies and Sam Gibbon. The under nines team from St John's on the Hill in Chepstow won the under nines category scoring 21 out of 25.

Anna, nine, who was in the Dell's under nines team took part in the World Youth Chess Championships in South Africa last year.

After all the matches were finished, former Welsh International John Thornton played simultaneously against 20 children, including a number of children from the Dell Primary School.

Richard Stevenson, chess club tutor, said: "This coming Saturday is the Wales and West Championship which takes place in Devon -we have a team from Gwent and Glamorgan, half the team from Gwent are from Chepstow."

The Dell's chess club has around 30 pupils with many pupils attending the Chepstow Town Chess Club which has 40 members.