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After coming last in three out of the last seven European Small Nations chess tournaments, Jersey's chess team had its redemption at the start of the month - with wins against Cyprus and San Marino, and a draw against Guernsey.
Jersey hosted the tournament for the first time - "a proud moment", according to Jersey player Garry Forbes.
Leading players travelled to the island at the start of the month for the European Small Nations team tournament, which took place at the Pomme d'Or Hotel.
It saw 10 teams face off: Andorra, Cyprus, the Faroe Islands, Guernsey, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, San Marino and Jersey.
Favourites Andorra won the overall tournament, followed by the Faroe Islands in the second place. Luxembourg was ranked third and Malta was fourth.
Jersey finished in eighth place, with a first-ever win against Cyprus as a highlight.
Pictured - from left: Jem Gurner, Garry Forbes, Paul Wojciechowski and Paul Carpenter, representing Jersey. (Rob Currie)
The team was made up of island champion Paul Carpenter on the top board, flanked by Candidate Master Jem Gurner, Fide Master Jon Hawes, CM Garry Forbes and CM Paul Wojciechowski.
European Small Nations was established as a region by chess governing body Fide in 2010. It carries some weight, as in years where individual competitions are held, they offer a path to qualification for the World Cup.
In the team event, participants take part in nine rounds with a time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves, with 30 minutes for the rest of the game and a 30-second increment per move from move one.
Garry Forbes, who played for the Jersey team - and works as Managing Director for sponsor SaSo Strategic Advisers - said the company had long been a sponsor of chess in Jersey.
"It is a proud moment for Jersey to host this special event thanks to Tournament Director Paul Wojciechowski and his hard work bringing the event to Jersey and The Pomme D’or in particular.
"Jersey welcomed some of the best talents of each of the ten nations participating in the event, and the best Jersey players looked forward to the challenge of the nine matches, especially against their close rivals and friends from Guernsey."
Pictured: Paul Carpenter represented Jersey on the top board. (Rob Currie)
He added that he knew from taking part in the event previously just how tough the competition is.
Adam Budworth, Managing Director of event sponsor Grant Thornton, said: "At Grant Thornton, we understand the importance of supporting and nurturing intellectual pursuits, and we were delighted to be able to support this tournament that brings together the chess community across various small European nations, including Jersey and Guernsey.
"We sent our best wishes to all the participants.’’
The tournament took place at the Pomme d'Or Hotel from Saturday 28 October to Sunday 5 November.
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