A YOUNGSTER who will play chess for England in Poland next month has been selected for a new national academy training programme for chess champions.

Edward Gray, 12, from Brighton, aims to be an international master by the time he goes to university.

The Brighton boy, who is a chess scholar at Brighton College, played at the London Junior Chess Championships during the Christmas holidays and did so well in the Under 14 Majors he earned a place representing his country in the national chess junior squad.

At the same time he heard his performances at competitions in the past year had impressed experts in charge of training future England chess players so much he would be given a place with the English Chess Federation Academy.

It was set up to nurture chess talent across the country and is run by the governing chess organisation in England. While there, Edward will be trained by the grandmasters of the game.

But Edward said he was just getting started and planned to make it as an international master himself by the time he reaches 18.

He said: “I try my hardest and do my best and I always like to go for the win. I hope to play more international games and at a higher level. Chess is just such a really enjoyable game.”

His father David Gray said: “He has worked so long and hard for this, having pursued his goal during two years of regional qualifying tournaments and only narrowly missed qualification at the Liverpool trial in April 2016. Edward has already been much helped along his chess journey by getting the Brighton College chess scholarship.

“He is benefiting from the school’s positive attitude to chess and from being encouraged to play both in school and for the college team.

“When he started playing at the age of six, this would have seemed an impossible and unlikely dream. But as we start 2017, it looks like he has got the determination and ability to be able to achieve it.”

Edward will now be in the England Junior Squad until he is 16, with his first international trip representing England in Poland in mid-February.

Brighton College launched a chess scholarship in 2015 under the auspices of English Grandmaster Nigel Short, who wowed pupils when he played multiple games with players simultaneously at the Eastern Road school in the same year.

Thirteen-year-old chess nut Dominic Miller, who played for the National Junior Chess squad and won the British Intermediate Rapidplay Championships, was the first recipient of the scholarship and declared himself delighted to be going to a school “where chess is taken seriously”.

Since then, a number of pupils have become chess scholars and taken part in regional and national competitions.

Most recently Brighton College chess team came a respectable 19th place out of more than 50 teams during a tournament held at Eton College in Berkshire.