This year’s Hull Congress run in conjunction with the 4NCL, was held from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th September at the Canham Turner Conference Centre or the University of Hull on Cottingham Road, Hull, HU6 7RX.

It is interesting to compare congresses’ numbers of entrant/participants one year as compared with earlier years. In October 2021 there were 163 participants in a three-section congress. Then in October 2022 the total was 152 in three sections run alongside a FIDE-norm qualifier event. This year there were four “normal” sections and there were in those four sections a total of 161 participants, excluding “no shows”. Thus, the four sections of 2023 attracted much the same number of participants as the three sections in 2021 event. The 2023 players were of course vying for more prizes, the advertised prize fund this year being £5,250.

Round 1 saw Maksym Larchikov draw with GM Daniel Gormally.

Round 2 was unusual. The Open draw looked interesting. On board 1 Hull native Richard Britton, now long-resident in London, had White against top-ranked Mark Hebden. Could Richard take at least half a point from the front-runner? On board 5, Jim Burnett was outgraded by Harrogate’s young Mate Ther. Could youth with Black beat experience as White? Board 11 saw a pairing between Hull’s no. 1 player John Cooper and Hull’s top junior, Maksym Larchikov from Ukraine. What would the result be? About half an hour into the round, Aditya Verma appears to have won by default, but otherwise nothing too eventful had transpired. Then, reportedly about 75 minutes into the round, there was a loud bang, and the lights went out, though emergency lights apparently kicked in. Eventually, all games in that room, i. e. those of the Open and Under-2000, were abandoned with each player being credited with half a point, in effect half-point byes all round. (That might have not impressed the player who had already won!) The other two sections, in a different room, escaped the localised power cut.

Things were back to normal for round 3. It is customary not to repeat an earlier pairing where one party had defaulted, and on the same principle, round 3 pairings in the Open and Under-2000 were not those of the aborted round 2. In the result tables, for abandoned games, opponent’s numbers shown are those of the initial pairings preserved for information, but the ½ points scored are in effect half-point byes. (Organisers may need to edit the rating submission file accordingly.)

Some of the games which were broadcast live are included. Here are some involving Yorkshire players. Click on the result to play through game on screen, then use the browser’s back function to return to this page.

Round	White	Result	Black
1	Maksym Larchikov	½‑½	Daniel Gormally
3	Richard Britton	1-0	Mate Ther
4	Bernard Chan	0-1	Joe Varley
5	Joe Varley	1-0	Samuel Milson
5	Jim Burnett	1-0	Bernard Chan
5	John Cooper	1-0	Ben Rich

Round-by-round results in each section were as follows, with aborted pairings highlighted in green:

Open

No	Name	Rtg		1			2			3			4			5		SPS

1	Max N Turner (CM)	2336	1	B	37	½	W	29	1	W	15	1	B	4	½	W	6
	Forest Hall			1			1½			2½			3½			4		12½
2	Joe Varley	2125	½	B	26	½	W	32	1	W	40	1	B	29	1	W	11
	Hull			½			1			2			3			4		10½
3	Richard Britton (FM)	2201	1	B	36	½	W	4	1	W	14	½	B	13	½	W	7
	Hackney			1			1½			2½			3			3½		11½
4	Mark L Hebden (GM)	2504	1	W	17	½	B	3	1	B	18	0	W	1	1	B	19
	Syston			1			1½			2½			2½			3½		11
5	Aditya Verma	2276	1	B	28	½	W	30	½	W	29	½	B	9	1	W	20
	St Olaves GS Orpington			1			1½			2			2½			3½		10½
6	Daniel W Gormally (GM)	2487	½	B	33	½	W	7	1	W	34	1	B	30	½	B	1
	4NCL Blackthorne Russia			½			1			2			3			3½		10
7	David Phillips	2069	½	-	bye	½	B	6	1	B	16	1	W	10	½	B	3
	Coventry Chess Academy			½			1			2			3			3½		10
8	Peter K Wells (GM)	2358	0	W	9	½	B	38	1	B	45	1	W	22	1	B	21
	Witney			0			½			1½			2½			3½		8
9	Hongyi Yu	2063	1	B	8	½	B	18	½	B	10	½	W	5	½	W	13
	Leeds University			1			1½			2			2½			3		10
10	Thomas Carroll	2223	1	B	39	½	W	15	½	W	9	0	B	7	1	W	37
	Hoylake			1			1½			2			2			3		9½
11	Samuel A Milson	2166	½	-	bye	½	B	22	1	B	35	1	W	12	0	B	2
	Sheffield Nomads			½			1			2			3			3		9½
12	Jim Burnett	2097	1	B	42	½	W	14	½	W	31	0	B	11	1	W	29
	Ecclesall			1			1½			2			2			3		9½
13	Indy Southcott-Moyers	2230	½	W	35	½	B	27	1	B	25	½	W	3	½	B	9
	Stroud			½			1			2			2½			3		9
14	Mate Ther	2221	1	W	44	½	B	12	0	B	3	½	W	17	1	B	34
	Harrogate			1			1½			1½			2			3		9
15	Peter JE Ackley	2113	1	W	46	½	B	10	0	B	1	½	W	18	1	B	32
	Chesterfield			1			1½			1½			2			3		9
16	John G Cooper	2193	½	B	40	½	W	33	0	W	7	1	B	39	1	W	36
	Hull			½			1			1			2			3		7½
17	Patryk Krzyzanowski	2090	0	B	4	½	W	36	1	W	42	½	B	14	1	W	31
	South Bristol			0			½			1½			2			3		7
18	Shabir Okhai	2215	1	B	38	½	W	9	0	W	4	½	B	15	½	W	25
	Syston			1			1½			1½			2			2½		8½
19	Martin G Walker	2212	½	W	22	½	B	35	1	B	27	½	W	20	0	W	4
	Norwich Dons			½			1			2			2½			2½		8½
20	Tashika Arora	2135	½	-	bye	½	W	40	1	W	26	½	B	19	0	B	5
	Oxfordshire Juniors			½			1			2			2½			2½		8½
21	Andrei Ciuravin	2178	½	-	bye	½	W	34	½	W	33	1	B	28	0	W	8
	Hull *			½			1			1½			2½			2½		8
22	Mark I Collinson	1961	½	B	19	½	W	11	1	W	24	0	B	8	½	W	23
	Victoria Dock			½			1			2			2			2½		8
23	Vivash Samarakoon	2108	½	-	bye	½	W	26	½	W	32	½	B	31	½	B	22
	Norfolk & Norwich			½			1			1½			2			2½		7½
24	Luca Buanne	2170	½	-	bye	½	B	43	0	B	22	1	W	38	½	W	26
	Richmond Juniors			½			1			1			2			2½		7
25	Yaoyao Zhu	2054	½	-	bye	½	W	31	0	W	13	1	B	33	½	B	18
	Calderdale			½			1			1			2			2½		7
26	Dylan Mize	1916	½	W	2	½	B	23	0	B	20	1	W	46	½	B	24
	United States			½			1			1			2			2½		7
27	Nicolas Skettos	2042	½	B	31	½	W	13	0	W	19	½	B	36	1	W	39
	Glasgow *			½			1			1			1½			2½		6½
28	Pranava Ravikumar	2030	0	W	5	½	B	41	1	B	46	0	W	21	1	B	42
	Hampshire *			0			½			1½			1½			2½		6
29	Sheng Liang Bernard Chan	2194	1	W	45	½	B	1	½	B	5	0	W	2	0	B	12
	Leeds University			1			1½			2			2			2		8½
30	Anusha Subramanian	2144	1	W	41	½	B	5	½	-	bye	0	W	6
	Maidenhead			1			1½			2			2			2		8½
31	Michael J Bulford	2285	½	W	27	½	B	25	½	B	12	½	W	23	0	B	17
				½			1			1½			2			2		7
32	Derek A Sheppard	1715	½	-	bye	½	B	2	½	B	23	½	W	35	0	W	15
	Hull			½			1			1½			2			2		7
33	Maksym Larchikov	2072	½	W	6	½	B	16	½	B	21	0	W	25	½	B	35
	Hull *			½			1			1½			1½			2		6½
34	Adam Bedi	1991	½	-	bye	½	B	21	0	B	6	1	W	45	0	W	14
	York			½			1			1			2			2		6½
35	Paul Brencher	2007	½	B	13	½	W	19	0	W	11	½	B	32	½	W	33
	Acomb WM Club			½			1			1			1½			2		6
36	Ben S Rich	1961	0	W	3	½	B	17	1	B	44	½	W	27	0	B	16
	York			0			½			1½			2			2		6
37	Rohan Pal	2059	0	W	1	½	B	45	½	B	38	1	W	44	0	B	10
	Coventry Chess Academy			0			½			1			2			2		5½
38	Paul Raynes	1962	0	W	18	½	W	8	½	W	37	0	B	24	1	B	41
	Reading *			0			½			1			1			2		4½
39	Samuel A Parry	1999	0	W	10	½	B	46	1	B	41	0	W	16	0	B	27
	Cheddleton & Leek			0			½			1½			1½			1½		5
40	Jack Walker	1934	½	W	16	½	B	20	0	B	2	0	W	41	½	B	44
	Hull			½			1			1			1			1½		5
41	Raymond J Ilett	1929	0	B	30	½	W	28	0	W	39	1	B	40	0	W	38
	New England			0			½			½			1½			1½		4
42	Kanishka Bhatia	1660	0	W	12	½	B	44	0	B	17	1	-	bye	0	W	28
	Scotland			0			½			½			1½			1½		4
43	Eric D Gardiner	1982	½	-	bye	½	W	24
	Hull DCA			½			1			1			1			1		4½
44	Graham Chesters	1996	0	B	14	½	W	42	0	W	36	0	B	37	½	W	40
	Battersea			0			½			½			½			1		2½
45	Aaron Rich	1946	0	B	29	½	W	37	0	W	8	0	B	34	½	W	46
	York			0			½			½			½			1		2½
46	Andrew D Bettley	1787	0	B	15	½	W	39	0	W	28	0	B	26	½	B	45
	St Andrews Hull			0			½			½			½			1		2½

Under 2000

No	Name	Rtg		1			2			3			4			5		SPS

1	Kristian C Usifoh	1967	1	B	36	½	W	17	1	W	23	½	B	2	1	W	4
	Hull			1			1½			2½			3			4		12
2	Shriaansh Ganti	1746	1	W	53	½	B	6	1	B	49	½	W	1	1	B	15
	Wakefield			1			1½			2½			3			4		12
3	Bruno Alexandre Dos Santos Silva	1754	½	-	bye	½	W	26	1	W	51	1	B	16	1	B	12
	South Birmingham			½			1			2			3			4		10½
4	Okwose Marc Obi	1940	1	W	57	½	B	21	1	B	22	1	W	5	0	B	1
	Bedford			1			1½			2½			3½			3½		12
5	Roger D De Coverly	1989	1	B	58	½	W	16	1	W	17	0	B	4	1	W	21
	Bourne End			1			1½			2½			2½			3½		11
6	Alex Royle	1999	½	-	bye	½	W	2	1	W	32	½	B	14	1	B	31
	Louth			½			1			2			2½			3½		9½
7	Alice Lampard	1943	½	-	bye	½	B	8	1	B	43	½	W	21	1	W	23
	Bristol University			½			1			2			2½			3½		9½
8	Louis Cheng	1789	½	B	45	½	W	7	1	W	28	½	B	13	1	W	22
	Scotland			½			1			2			2½			3½		9½
9	Stephen W Berkley	1723	½	-	bye	½	W	18	1	W	45	½	B	26	1	B	24
	Barking			½			1			2			2½			3½		9½
10	Robert A Dean	1815	½	B	28	½	W	50	½	W	19	1	B	45	1	W	20
	Undercliffe			½			1			1½			2½			3½		9
11	Benedikt Pitel	1761	½	-	bye	½	W	51	½	W	26	1	B	55	1	B	29
	Hull			½			1			1½			2½			3½		9
12	Tim M Turner	1913	1	B	34	½	W	23	½	W	14	1	B	39	0	W	3
	Beverley			1			1½			2			3			3		10½
13	Samuel Gaffney	1885	1	W	37	½	B	38	½	-	bye	½	W	8	½	B	19
	Lowestoft			1			1½			2			2½			3		10
14	Kam Wa Siu	1784	1	W	29	½	B	49	½	B	12	½	W	6	½	B	18
	Sheffield Nomads			1			1½			2			2½			3		10
15	Anastasios Nezis	1909	½	-	bye	½	W	39	1	W	44	1	B	40	0	W	2
	Eagle and Child			½			1			2			3			3		9½
16	Edison Figueroa	1867	1	W	52	½	B	5	½	B	38	0	W	3	1	B	42
	Barking			1			1½			2			2			3		9½
17	Joseph Catto	1856	1	W	46	½	B	1	0	B	5	½	W	25	1	B	38
	Hull			1			1½			1½			2			3		9
18	Alannah Ashton	1891	½	-	bye	½	B	9	½	B	27	1	W	38	½	W	14
	3Cs			½			1			1½			2½			3		8½
19	Dominic Gallagher	1695	½	-	bye	½	B	56	½	B	10	1	W	49	½	W	13
	Rose Forgrove			½			1			1½			2½			3		8½
20	Andrew Brocklehurst	1988	1	W	31	½	B	22	½	B	21	½	W	24	0	B	10
	Civil Service CA			1			1½			2			2½			2½		9½
21	Randolph E Donahue	1851	1	W	48	½	W	4	½	W	20	½	B	7	0	B	5
	Leeds CCCC			1			1½			2			2½			2½		9½
22	Maksym Kryshtafor	1860	1	W	35	½	W	20	0	W	4	1	B	50	0	B	8
	York			1			1½			1½			2½			2½		9
23	Chris J Matthews	1795	1	W	47	½	B	12	0	B	1	1	W	46	0	B	7
	Willows, The			1			1½			1½			2½			2½		9
24	AJ (Tony) Slinger	1860	½	B	40	½	W	44	1	W	42	½	B	20	0	W	9
	Undercliffe			½			1			2			2½			2½		8½
25	Richard J Webster	1957	½	-	bye	½	W	32	½	W	41	½	B	17	½	W	34
	Worksop			½			1			1½			2			2½		7½
26	Paul R Bielby	1926	½	W	43	½	B	3	½	B	11	½	W	9	½	W	27
	South Shields			½			1			1½			2			2½		7½
27	Siefaldin A Holi	1730	½	-	bye	½	W	45	½	W	18	½	B	54	½	B	26
	Wakefield			½			1			1½			2			2½		7½
28	John S Garnett	1963	½	W	10	½	B	43	0	B	8	1	W	30	½	B	32
	The Buffs			½			1			1			2			2½		7
29	Brian Towers	1896	0	B	14	½	W	34	1	W	37	1	B	41	0	W	11
	South Shields			0			½			1½			2½			2½		7
30	Robert Kane	1855	½	B	44	½	W	42	½	W	50	0	B	28	1	W	54
	West London			½			1			1½			1½			2½		7
31	Paul May	1828	0	B	20	½	W	54	1	W	48	1	B	51	0	W	6
	Limewood & Scarcroft			0			½			1½			2½			2½		7
32	Kieran Macphail	1814	½	W	33	½	B	25	0	B	6	1	W	52	½	W	28
	Liskeard			½			1			1			2			2½		7
33	Bernie Tedd	1948	½	B	32	½	W	41	0	W	39	½	B	44	1	W	40
	Birmingham *			½			1			1			1½			2½		6½
34	Zak Tomlinson	1790	0	W	12	½	B	29	½	B	47	1	W	35	½	B	25
	Barnby Dun			0			½			1			2			2½		6
35	Vivien Webster	1731	0	B	22	½	W	58	1	W	36	0	B	34	1	B	49
	Halifax			0			½			1½			1½			2½		6
36	Tim Wheeler	1820	0	W	1	½	B	46	0	B	35	1	W	56	1	B	52
	Gerrards Cross			0			½			½			1½			2½		5
37	Nicholas Webb	1757	0	B	13	½	B	53	0	B	29	1	W	57	1	W	50
	The Buffs			0			½			½			1½			2½		5
38	Daniel Meredith	1662	1	B	55	½	W	13	½	W	16	0	B	18	0	W	17
	York			1			1½			2			2			2		8½
39	Roger Greatorex	1738	½	-	bye	½	B	15	1	B	33	0	W	12
	Sheffield			½			1			2			2			2		7½
40	Martin Ginestie	1655	½	W	24	½	B	47	1	B	56	0	W	15	0	B	33
	Maidenhead			½			1			2			2			2		7½
41	Jeremy P Brockes	1769	½	-	bye	½	B	33	½	B	25	0	W	29	½	W	44
	Hampstead			½			1			1½			1½			2		6½
42	Bien Cuaresma	1701	½	-	bye	½	B	30	0	B	24	1	W	47	0	W	16
	Wakefield			½			1			1			2			2		6½
43	Xiaofan Li	1791	½	B	26	½	W	28	0	W	7	½	B	48	½	B	46
	Hull			½			1			1			1½			2		6
44	Oleg Dukalev	1707	½	W	30	½	B	24	0	B	15	½	W	33	½	B	41
	HANA Kasparov			½			1			1			1½			2		6
45	James J McDonnell	1902	½	W	8	½	B	27	0	B	9	0	W	10	1	B	57
	Greater London Chess Club			½			1			1			1			2		5½
46	Jack Howorth	1710	0	B	17	½	W	36	1	-	bye	0	B	23	½	W	43
	North Yorkshire *			0			½			1½			1½			2		5½
47	John Thackray	1927	0	B	23	½	W	40	½	W	34	0	B	42	1	W	58
	St Andrews Hull			0			½			1			1			2		4½
48	David J Hambly	1691	0	B	21	½	B	57	0	B	31	½	W	43	1	-	bye
	Hull DCA			0			½			½			1			2		4
49	Stephen Crow	1870	1	B	54	½	W	14	0	W	2	0	B	19	0	W	35
	St Andrews Hull			1			1½			1½			1½			1½		7
50	Paul W Jones	1686	½	W	56	½	B	10	½	B	30	0	W	22	0	B	37
	York			½			1			1½			1½			1½		6
51	Paul SN Kendall	1941	½	-	bye	½	B	11	0	B	3	0	W	31	½	W	55
	Beverley			½			1			1			1			1½		5
52	David Stothard	1748	0	B	16	½	W	55	1	W	58	0	B	32	0	W	36
	Hull			0			½			1½			1½			1½		5
53	Graham J Ashcroft	1866	0	B	2	½	W	37	½	W	54	½	B	58
	Preston			0			½			1			1½			1½		4½
54	Robert P Taylor	1753	0	W	49	½	B	31	½	B	53	½	W	27	0	B	30
	Ashfield			0			½			1			1½			1½		4½
55	David W Stephenson	1843	0	W	38	½	B	52	½	B	57	0	W	11	½	B	51
	St Andrews Hull			0			½			1			1