A quick thinking 16-year-old has defied the odds to reach the quarterfinals of a prestigious games championship.

Eleanor Gordon from England has reached the last 16 of the World Tantrix Championships, outwitting opponents from as far afield as America and Australia.

But, much to the relief of her parents, the teenager does not have to travel far to compete - in fact she only has to wander into her bedroom.

She said: "All the games are played over the Internet and can take 20 minutes, although most championship matches only take 15 minutes.

"I signed up with about 128 other players, to take part in these games and gradually started making my way through the rounds. Playing is a great way to get to know people and it can be a very social activity."

Tantrix is the most popular independent game in New Zealand, where it was invented in the early 1990s, and is enjoyed by more than a million people worldwide. It is played, either online or in person, with 56 hexagonal tiles, with each player trying to make the line of their own colour the longest and to block their opponent.

"I signed up with about 128 other players, to take part in these games and gradually started making my way through the rounds. Playing is a great way to get to know people and it can be a very social activity."

Eleanor, who also enjoys juggling and watching Formula One racing, attends Washington school and is currently studying for her GCSE exams. She added: "On average I would say that I play at least one game and I have been enjoying Tantrix for more than two years now. "I like strategy games in general and I'm a big fan of chess."

The 128 players, aged between 10 and 54, who qualified for the main draw at this year's World Championships came from 21 different countries. More than 250,000 Tantrix games played over the Internet each year, resulting in many international friendships forged.