The club's number one player and several times county champion Dominic Mackle (left) will fly the flag for Newton Abbot Chess Club in the British Championships.

The championships start on July 23 in Newcastle, and his progress can be followed on-line at the English Chess Federation website.

At the annual meeting, secretary Trefor Thynne reported on another busy and successful season, the club's seventh since its foundation in 2005.

Newton Abbot again earned the title of Devon's top club by winning the Bremridge Cup – awarded to the winners of Devon League Division One – for the third successive year, as well as winning the Schofield Cup (Division Three) and, jointly with Torquay Boys' Grammar School, retaining the Division One title in the Torbay Chess League. They also won that league's Rapidplay Division.

Notable individual performances highlighted at the meeting included Jacquie Barber-Lafon, of Kingskerswell, winning the Devon Ladies' Championship, 14-year-old John Fraser achieving the first of two 'norms' in his quest to become a member of the England Junior Squad and Alex Billings (18) having a phenomenally successful season in match-play for both club and county.

Seventeen-year-old Jeffrey Leung was selected to play for the Devon county senior team, while Paul Brooks has been elected president of the Devon County Chess Association.

Newton Abbot's new season will start late September at the usual venue, the Courtenay Centre in Kingsteignton Road.