Captain’s Log — #1
As we gear up for the new season, this is the first in a series of “Captain’s Logs” we’ll be publishing throughout the year. First up, Frank Valle, Captain of our Junior Team in the London League (Division 4).
— Gaston Franco, Club Captain
WHAT A SEASON FOR HAMMERSMITH JUNIORS!
From humble beginnings to genuine contenders — what a journey it’s been.
When I was lucky enough to be appointed the very first captain of the Hammersmith Juniors team back in 2022–23, we celebrated every half-point as if it were a trophy. The next season, 2023–24, things began to change. We started winning games — not many matches yet, but the dedication was obvious, and you could see our opponents taking us seriously.
Then came 2024–25: the year Hammersmith Juniors truly arrived.
Armed with experience and confidence, we scored big wins against strong sides like our own Hammersmith 4, plus Metropolitan 3, Hackney 3, and Lewisham 3. We finished mid-table, just two points shy of third place — a huge step forward for the team.
Of course, we always play to win, but the real philosophy — mine as captain, and the club’s — is to make sure the juniors enjoy their chess. Win or lose, everyone who’s ready gets a game, often against opponents rated 300–800 points higher. That’s why it’s so important they understand that losing is part of the journey — and that a hard-fought loss can teach you more than an easy win.
This year, 20 juniors represented the team, including four talented young girls — Charlotte, Dyuthi, Rebecca, and Amelie. Several players had real breakthrough seasons:
- Max Townsend – 3 wins from 4 games
- Tom Balmond – regularly holding down Board 1
- Cedric Demarcus, Thomas Ewart, Alex Royce, and Kacper Gawryjolek – all making valuable contributions
- Aforementioned Charlotte Oudet also won the U10 Girls Blitz British Championship in Liverpool
And we achieved all this without our very top juniors in the line-up, because they were busy making headlines of their own in higher divisions:
- Sohum Lohia (16) – earned his final IM norm and the Title
- Supratit Banerjee (11) – achieved the FM title, and an IM norm at the British Chess Championship
- Harry Bryant (13) – earned the CM title
- Aryaman Ganguly (13) – won an Individual Board Bronze at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships (WRBTC)
- Aryaman and Kai Hanache (13) – helped Hammersmith win Best Team U2200 at the WRBTC
- And many others that keep making our club proud: Zain Patel, Cian Ward, Raman Vashisht-Pigem, etc.
From hopeful first moves to playing with skill, courage, and joy — the future for Hammersmith Juniors has never looked brighter.
— Frank Valle, Hammersmith Juniors Team Captain