A BUDDING Garry Kasparov is celebrating this week after being picked to represent his country at chess.

Great Missenden C of E School pupil William Claridge-Hansen has been chosen for the England under-11 team – and will spend his summer holidays taking on opponents throughout Europe.

The 10-year-old from Chartridge is also the reigning British under-ten champion and has even played in adult tournaments in Buckinghamshire.

Proud dad Hans Hansen said: “He's got a nice big cup for that. He's got quite a few.

“He learned when he was about five and about a year later he took part in competitions and hasn't looked back since.”

Mr Hansen, himself a county standard player, said: “He doesn't beat me often. I have another year or two left.”

Speaking of how William qualified for the team, Mr Hansen said: “There's a special qualifying tournament once a year in Liverpool. You play six games over two days against the best under-tens and under-11s in the country.

“You get two shots at this, for under-ten and under-11 and he's done it early, he's taken his first chance.”

Later this year William will be taking part in a contest in Flanders and the European Union Chess Championship in Austria.

“It's our summer holiday,” said Mr Hansen. “He's got three weeks of non-stop chess.”