Ben Edgell - ECF Publicity Officer

Those of you who are active in Westcountry chess may know the name of Ben Edgell of Sedgemoor, one of the leading lights of Somerset chess. A quick recap: he was Somerset Under-18 and Under-16 champion in 2003, has been a regular in the Somerset first team since our second match in the 2002-03 season, and went on to captain the county team from 2006-2009; this team won the WECU title in his third and final year in charge.

Well, today I got news of Ben's latest achievement: he has been appointed to the post of ECF Publicity Officer, a role tasked with bringing chess to the attention of the wider world. I wish him all the best in the role; it will not be easy, but it will no doubt be a challenge he will relish the task of rising to.