Teenager makes all the right moves

A 13-year-old girl has been called up to represent Ireland in the world’s biggest chess event – due to begin on May 20.

Poornima Menon, who has only been playing chess for three years, has been selected for the Irish women’s team at the Turin Chess Olympiad. She is believed to be the youngest person to represent Ireland at senior level in chess.

She will be part of a four-player squad competing at the 37th Chess Olympiad – the pinnacle of the sport – in which teams from 140 countries will take place.

News of her call-up emerged when one of Ireland’s leading women players, Gearoidin Uí Laighleis, was forced to withdraw after having to undergo an operation.

“It came as a total surprise, and we’re so excited,” said Poornima’s father Jayadev. “She’s now working hard for three hours every day on her chess studies.”

He will be accompanying his daughter to Turin for the Olympiad, where hundreds of players will battle over 13 games in the Oval, a huge indoor venue twice the size of a football pitch that was used for speed skating in the recent Winter Olympics.