Kingston A v Hammersmith A, Thames Valley League division 1 match played at the Richard Mayo Centre, United Reformed Church, Kingston on 9 March 2026

This was the board 1 game between FMs Michael Fernandez and Supratit Banerjee (pictured above) in the recent match between Hammersmith and Kingston in Thames Valley division 1 – an encounter that was likely to prove crucial in deciding who would win the 2025/26 title. Both clubs had assembled strong teams, with these two players leading the formidable line-ups. It was a terrific 116-move struggle, ending with a rare king, bishop and knight v king checkmate.

The distinguished chess writer and historian John Saunders, former editor of both British Chess Magazine and Chess, has kindly annotated the game. “Supratit’s play,” he says, “was impressively [MIchael] Adams-like. Then it got away from him a bit, but at no time was it easy to win, and his sheer energy and determination were remarkable.” Sometimes one has to pinch oneself to remember that Supratit is just 12 years old. What a talent! The Kingston club are very fortunate to have him as a player in local league chess and 4NCL.