‘But everyone else looks like they’ve been playing for years and they’ve read loads of books. All I’ve done is play for six weeks with my granddad and watched a Bobby Fischer DVD!’

Rebecca puts her hand over her mouth.

‘See, even you’re laughing.’

‘I’m not. It’s just the way you said it.’ She takes her hand down and suddenly looks at me, straight-faced. ‘Felix. You’ve just got to believe in yourself as much as your granddad does. He wouldn’t let you come here if he didn’t think you could do it on your own.’

I take a deep breath. Then another. My chest begins to loosen, but immediately tightens as a hooter sounds and someone shouts, ‘Can all the players make their way into the main hall.’

The main hall, I think to myself. There’s a bigger room than this!

Mr Keytes stands in front of me. ‘Well, this is it, Felix,’ he says, sounding like Mum before she sent me in to have two teeth out at the dentist. ‘Good luck, and don’t worry about losing. Just do your best.’

‘Okay.’ I gather my breath.

‘Yeah, good luck,’ Rich sneers like he thinks I will need it.

I turn towards the hall doors. ‘Take no notice of him.’ Rebecca’s walking alongside me. ‘Just concentrate on your own game, don’t worry about the others.’

‘Yeah,’ says Jake. ‘And don’t worry if you lose, because I’ll make a bigger banner and fit the date on it next year.’

‘Thanks, Jake,’ I say. ‘That helps lots.’

I inch forward in the queue. I feel as scared as I did when I went scuba diving with Granddad.

‘Good luck, Felix!’ Rebecca shouts. I try to look for her but the crowds are pushing me into the hall.

As the contestants fan out I see three long rows of tables full of chessboards, labelled A, B and C. They run the length of the room towards a big glass window at the end with a lectern by the side. I look up at the wooden rafters and beams, at the teachers and children taking their seats like Romans getting ready to watch the gladiators fight at a coliseum.

My heart thuds as I follow the contestants towards three whiteboards on the wall. As each one gets to the front they seek out their name and make their way to their table. I edge closer. The girl in front of me spots her name in seconds and moves away. I step forward and look for mine but I can’t see it. Maybe everyone was so surprised I did so well in the Inter-Schools that they forgot to enter me.

I take a deep breath. I must be here somewhere.

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