Athar Ansari on top of the rock as he doubles up in chess tournament

Ansari, who plays for Newport chess club, was a joint winner in two sections of the Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival tournament – billed as one of the strongest and best in the world – and came home a cool £1,500 richer.

In the first week, playing in the Amateur A section against international competition, he scored four wins and one draw, to be one of three winners, collecting £800.

Then in the second week, playing in the Amateur B section, he again claimed four wins and one draw, this time being one of four winners, adding £700 in prize money.

"I was very pleased with my performance and my biggest win of £1,500, which comes on top of the £150 I won for joint first in the Major section of the Shropshire Chess Congress last month, so it's been a good start to the year," he said.

"I enjoyed it so much, especially the quality and standard of the Gibraltar Chess Festival, that I am going to play in 2018. My games were live so the whole world could see – this has never happen to me."

The icing on the cake for Ansari is that in the latest grading lists which are now out, his personal grading has shot up by nine points to 165 – a new grading calculated on his performances before his Gibraltar success.

He was one of a number of Shropshire players who made the trip to Gibraltar to take part, the others being Dave Gostelow, Gary White, and Jim O'Neil.

In Shropshire chess league, Newport A are looking in ominous form, stretching their lead in Division One to three points after a thumping 4.5-0.5 win over Priorslee Lions, with Ian Jamieson extending his unbeaten run to eight games.

A top-of-the-table clash in Division Three saw Wellington B beat Telepost D to leapfrog them into first place, with Wellington top board Mike Hollier still unbeaten after his return to chess after many years in September.