EVIE Hollingsworth is a grand master when it comes to organisation.

But the 13-year-old Sheffield schoolgirl has to be. Like many teenagers Evie juggles a busy school-life with after school clubs and sports sessions.

She also represents Yorkshire and England at chess and thinks nothing of taking on men who have spent a lifetime mastering the intellectual game.

Evie didn't know a pawn from a rook five years ago when she went for tea at schoolfriend's house.

"Her friend played chess so he taught her how to play and then she joined the school chess club," explains Jenny, a single mum to three kids.

"I've never played chess and I'll admit I didn't know the first thing about it. Evie started quite late at the age of eight because a lot of the children her age started playing with their dads aged four or five."

Evie, a chatty and articulate Silverdale pupil, quickly made up for lost time and hasn't stopped winning since.

Her chess tutor says she has a natural ability and the English Chess Federation, the country's governing body, has invited her to take part in a number of top tournaments.

"I couldn't believe she'd got into chess." adds Jenny, who lives at Parkhead, Sheffield.

"I thought 'what's she getting into now?' It turns out that she's really good at it so what can I say! She was playing for the county aged nine. She plays adults, kids, old men - she'll play anyone and that's how she improves.

Jenny is learning about chess as quickly as her daughter.

"We got a phone call the other day saying she was invited to compete in a chess tournament in Liverpool. I didn't realise the significance of it so was quite blase on the phone. Later that day we started getting congratulatory emails from other chess players saying how fantastic it was that Evie had been selected."

Evie had been selected to represent England in the prestigious Glorney Cup in Liverpool in July, an intensive and extremely competitive youth tournament held over three days.

"I'd never heard of it before but it's a famous tournament in the chess world. It's akin to being a young footballer and getting an England call-up. In the end I had to phone the person back and apologise for sounding so flat when he broke the news."

Across the country an increasing number of children are playing chess but what sets Evie apart is her background.

Her family don't play chess, she's not privately educated and her mum juggles driving to chess tournaments with a full time Phd.

Then, of course, there's the cost.
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