Woodbridge School’s head of chess and International Master, Adam Hunt, has been asked to help develop England's top junior players.

Mr Hunt has been asked to be a joint leader of the mentoring process for the English Chess Trust’s Accelerator Programme. The programme includes eight students from around the country, who hope to represent England at World and European junior championships once these can resume.

There has been a recent surge in interest in chess – brought about by popular Netflix drama The Queen’s Gambit, which tells the story of a young girl in a 1950s orphanage, who reveals an astonishing talent for the game.

Woodbridge School is one of very few schools in the world to have a full-time chess teacher, with Mr Hunt having joined in 2003. Mr Hunt – whose sister, Harriet, is also an International Master – has coached the English junior teams on many occasions at World and European Junior Championships.