‘The best day of my life’: Former Newport grammar school student, 20, wins BBC Two's Chess Masters: The Endgame
A former Shropshire grammar school student has won a hit BBC chess show.
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Thalia Holmes, formerly a pupil at Haberdashers’ Adams School in Newport and former member of Newport Chess Club, took home the winner’s trophy in the final episode of BBC Two's Chess Masters: The Endgame, which aired yesterday (Monday, April 28).
Taking place at Cardiff’s former coal exchange with hosts David Howell, Sue Perkins and Anthony Mathurin, 12 rising stars from across the UK have been battling it out via a gauntlet of brain-bending puzzles and nail-biting eliminators to be crowned Britain’s Chess Master.
Whittled down to the final four, the final episode saw chess enthusiasts Thalia, Richie, Kel and Lula attempt a series of five puzzles first.
Thalia, who completed four out of five puzzles successfully, came out on top while Lula was eliminated after this round.
The second challenge was a tense "survival of the fittest” match with David, a renowned chess grandmaster, with an aim to stay on the board for as long as possible.
Kel fell first, leaving 20-year-old Thalia and Richie to compete in one final chess game.
With everything to play for - and a time pressure - the odds seemed to be in Richie’s favour for the most part of the tense game.
But ultimately, Thalia fights back to stay on the board and Richie runs out of time.
Watching the game, David said: “She kept her cool when it mattered. She was rewarded.”
Anthony replied: “She hung on even when the odds were against her. A wonderful performance.”
Trophy in hand and a beaming smile across her face, Thalia said it was an incredibly difficult challenge - and the best day of her life.
“I just thought if I give Richie some really difficult decisions to try and make in such a short time period, that he might make some kind of slip up.
That was such a difficult game and I honestly think that I couldn’t have had a better opponent than Richie.
“This is probably the best day of my life. And I’m honestly just so proud to have won this.”
Watch Chess Masters: The Endgame on BBC iPlayer.
