In September 2025, having received a £7600 national lottery community fund grant, we launched the Carmarthenshire Chess Academy. The aim of the Academy was to support schools colleges and community groups to set up their own chess clubs supported by White Knights Chess Club. Since then we have signed up 5 schools to be partner organisations to the Academy and have further discussions planned with other schools and colleges after half term.

Earlier this week we held the first ever Carmarthenshire Chess Academy festival for children and what an amazing event this was. We had 75 school children between the ages of 8 and 14 from 8 different schools attend the event. I would like to thank the Selwyn Samuel Centre for providing an excellent venue. All the children showed great passion for their chess and a number showed real ability. We presented prizes to the best performing players as well as participation certificates to Ysgol Bryn Teg, Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, Old Road School and Ysgol Bro Banw for signing up to be partner organisations to the Academy. Can I thank the many volunteers from White Knights Chess Club for helping organise such a successful event. This will be the first of many Academy festivals we will host over the coming months and years and hopefully we will continue to grow the Academy. If any of our facebook friends know any schools who would like more information about the Academy please pass on my details to them. Thanks Jason Garcia Carmarthenshire Chess academy.

(Article taken from Jason Garcia, West Wales Chess facebook group)