A YOUNG chess master has proved to be in a class of his own.

Thomas Mavin, eight, who attends Yarm Prep School, has won a string of titles and is unbeaten in local competitions since he was aged six.

The budding grand master, from Newton Aycliffe, has also been captain of the Yorkshire under-nines' team since he was seven.

He was entered in the under-18s' section of the recent Cleveland Junior Chess Championships, to give him more competition, but saw off his older rivals to take first place.

He won in the final against a fellow Yarm School pupil, Vijay Shyam Sundar, aged 13.

Johannes Grundmann, who teaches chess at the school, described Thomas as a one-off.

He said: "Thomas has been playing since he was four and he is so good the senior team keeps pinching him for matches.

"He's a one-off. We've had some very good players in the past, but for someone his age he is phenomenal.